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Core aim 2: education and learning opportunities requires that every child and young person has access to a comprehensive range of education, training and learning opportunities, including the acquisition of essential personal and social skills.
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United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child (UNCRC) articles (3, 13, 22, 28, 29 & 30)
Educational outcomes play an important role in young people’s futures. There is robust evidence that children and young people who are disadvantaged by poverty have a greater risk of not achieving their full potential within education and learning. The significant underachievement that exists due to poverty, results in disadvantage in later life.
This video was shown at the TUC conference 2007 to show how much child poverty prevents children recieving a good education from having low initial aspirations to receiving little parental support and was developed by the ATL Union
Role of local government and partners
Councils have a statutory responsibility for school improvement and a key role to play in planning the provision of effective life long learning with partners. Achievement in education is a key component to breaking the cycle of poverty. There is a need to focus not only on the continued challenge of reducing the inequalities in educational achievement, but also on the schools’ contribution to working with partners to safeguard and promote the well being of children and young people in their area. This can be achieved by reducing the impact of educational costs, improving basic skills, supporting school effectiveness and fostering transition.
The F.A.S.T. programme
Families and Schools Together (FAST) is an evidence-based parent and community strengthening programme underpinned by the socio-ecological theory of child development. FAST was developed in 1988 by Dr Lynn McDonald, Professor of Social Work, now at Middlesex University, London.
The aims of FAST are to improve children’s educational achievement, to strengthen relationships between parents and children, families and schools and to help to build better connections between families with other families within the local community.
Save the Children is now partnering with FAST to dramatically improve access to the programme across the UK for the first time to families with young children aged 3-5 in order to give children a fairer chance in life.
You can read more about FAST by clicking on the link here to C4EO best practice or download this full briefing paper.
Policy and initiative links