Society of St Vincent de Paul
Investing to Save
Education Ensure everyone can access and participate in education on an equal basis by providing genuinely free primary and secondary education and enhancing supports for further and higher education. As a result of Covid-19, education shifted from the classroom to the home. For some children and young people, they adapted to their new learning environment, and for some, it amplified their learning disadvantage’. Some households lack the physical resources necessary to support their child’s learning, this has become even more evident during school closures. For example, SVP members support families living in homeless accommodation and direct provision centres and families experiencing ‘hidden homelessness’, often living in overcrowded and unsuitable conditions to promote learning. It is very challenging in those circumstances to study when there is no separate space away from the rest of the family. Children and young people from the Traveller community also experience similar difficulties. A further issue which has arisen for members is the number of households who do not have access to a laptop and internet. For many households struggling with the high cost of rent and utilities, having a laptop and broadband is a luxury, not a necessity. These are issues that have not been fully addressed in the event of schools closing again. Also, a recent ESRI report* has shown that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have been disproportionally impacted by school closures. This requires an all of Government approach if we are to successfully tackle educational disadvantage.20 SVP members see the anxiety and stress of parents trying to juggle their low incomes to meet school costs. The substantial amounts incurred at the start of each school year for schoolbooks, uniforms and footwear, digital devices, school transport and ‘voluntary’ contributions are adding additional financial pressure to families who were already struggling before Covid-19. We see access to education as the key enabler out of poverty, yet education costs were one of the main reasons people request help from SVP. Last year, SVP spent €4.5 million on education, supporting children and young people at pre-school, primary, second and third level as well as supporting further education and training, second-chance education, and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for the people we assist. Lone parents are one of the groups most at risk of poverty and Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted these families through job loss, social isolation, and the additional financial pressures of parenting alone. As we emerge from the crisis, there is an opportunity to create pathways to sustainable employment and a route out of poverty by promoting access to education. Many lone parents who seek support from SVP have expressed their interest in attending higher education on a part-time basis, but the fact they cannot receive the SUSI grant is a major barrier. Very often part-time study is the only viable option for someone with work and family responsibilities, however, a disincentive exists in that they are subject to tuition fees. Efforts to support disadvantaged students to learn during the pandemic are welcome. However, much more work needs to be done to ensure that inequalities in education do not become more pronounced during the current public health crisis. It is also an opportunity to level the playing field; for the new Government to learn some lessons about how education could be designed more equitably. It is imperative that long term measures are taken now to ensure that the current and future cohorts of students can participate in education on an equal footing and secure equal educational outcomes regardless of their parents’ economic status.
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Darmody, Smyth and Russel (2020) The Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Policy in Relation to Children and Youth People: A Research Review: https://www.esri.ie/system/files/publications/SUSTAT94_3.pdf
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