Material factors Flashcards
(5 cards)
Costs of education - Bull (1980)
E - Bull refers to how children from poorer families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their educational achievement, as the ‘costs of free schooling.’ Tanner did a study in the Oxford area, finding that the costs of items such as transport, uniform, books, computers, sports etc places a heavy burden on poor families.
E - As a result poorer children may have to make do with hand me downs and cheaper but unfashionable equipment, resulting in being isolated or bullied by peers. This lowers their self esteem and they may feel they can’t succeed in school as they don’t have the ‘correct’ equipment.
E - However, policies such as pupil premium are now helping disadvantaged students gain materials they need and helping close the divide of the classes giving each class a fair chance.
Diet and health - Howard (2001)
E - Howard argues Young people from poorer homes have lower intake intakes of energy, vitamins and minerals. This affects their health, for example weakening their immune system and lowering their energy levels.
E - This may result in them being absent from school due to illness or struggling to concentrate in class. This means they may not achieve as high as MC pupils who usually are given healthy meals meaning they can easily focus in school.
E - However, there has been a shift in welfare policies, such as the expansion of free school meals and improved school nutrition standards. These messages may have lessened the impact of diet on educational outcomes, especially in younger children.
Fear of debt - Callender & Jackson (2005)
E - They found that WC students are more debt adverse - saw it as negative and avoided it. This affected their uni applications due to the high debt. Increases in tuition fees from 2012, to a maximum of £9000 per year which means that the increase the burden will deter even more WC students from applying.
E - This meant WC students chose to not apply to university and I=not bother in education if they knew they had a slim chance of getting degree leading to their underachievement.
E - However, there has been changes in hell student finances, structured, including increased awareness of student loans delayed repayments and graduate textile repayment models. Some argue students now see debt as ‘normal’ or unavoidable, particularly MC who think they’ll easily repay it.
Housing
E - For example, overcrowding can I have a direct effect by making it harder for the child to study and do educational activities. Development can be impaired through lack of space for safe play and exploration. Families living in temporary accommodation may find themselves having to move frequently resulting in constant changes of school and disrupted education.
E - This means they suffer more psychological distress, infections and absences. This leads to children having to take time off school if they are ill from poor housing conditions swell as struggling to focus. This results in their underachievement as they have to worry about their health over education.
E - However, blaming housing alone can hide the bigger issue, which is the fact that housing problems are caused by a wider class inequality like low pay, benefit, cuts, or on the housing systems. Some students families may be very supportive despite their housing conditions and encouraging students to achieve.
Material dep - Palmer (2012) - ethnicity
E - Palmer argues almost half of ethnic Minority children live in a low income household as against a quarter of white children. Ethnic minority household are around three times, as likely to be homeless than white.
E - This may affect a black or Pakistani childs achievement as they may live in economically depressed areas with high unemployment and low wage rates due to a lack of language skills from their parents. This means they do not have the correct materials to worry about school but instead try and gain a better standard of living.
E - However Indian and Chine pupils still achieve high results in school so saying ‘ethnic minorities’ overgeneralises it.
