Cost of the school day

John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, giving evidence at the Scottish Parliament Education and Skills Committee's inquiry into poverty and attainment, highlighted Cost of the School Day evidence of the impact of having to pay for curriculum costs in subjects such as home economics, art and design, technical studies, English and drama and music.

The Scottish Parliament Education and Skills Committee is holding an inquiry on the impact of experiencing poverty on young people at school, including their attainment and their achievement. In our response to the Committee’s call for written evidence on poverty and attainment we highlighted the importance of tackling the key drivers of poverty, as well as setting out the impact that action to reduce or remove cost barriers across the school day can make to children and their families.

This briefing paper by Morag Treanor of CRFR uses responses from parents and children in the birth cohort study Growing Up in Scotland to dispel the myth of the ‘poverty of aspiration’ widely used in education and policy circles in Scotland and beyond.

Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland (CPAG) and National Parent Forum for Scotland (NPFS) are delighted to launch a national Cost of the School Day resource for Parent Councils across Scotland.

Are you working to address the cost barriers of school for children and their families in your local authority area? NHS Health Scotland's Practice Network provides opportunities for peer support, the exchange of good practice and national support around these issues.

A selection of interesting Cost of the School Day related reports and articles.