South Cumbria headteachers in talks on poverty
Last updated at 18:10, Monday, 21 January 2013
SOME 30 headteachers from across Furness and South Cumbria are to meet for a summit on poverty this week.
The heads will meet in Barrow on Friday to add their voices to the work of the Furness Poverty Commission.
The commission has been set up to identify the underlying causes of poverty, and what these figures mean for children growing up in the area.
It also aims to examine how existing agencies work to combat poverty and will be making recommendations to improve the lives of struggling families.
The commission is being led by Caroline Hoggarth, the headteacher of Greengate Infant and Nursery School, in Barrow, and the group reports back to Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock at the end of March.
Primary heads, and some secondary school leaders, will be joined by the Benefits Agency, Barrow Citizens Advice Bureau, Barrow Credit Union, Action For Children and Barrow Foodbank, at Greengate Infant and Nursery School.
This is a follow-up event to the inaugural first meeting in December where it was revealed that 2,900 children in Barrow are living below the poverty line, the highest rate in Cumbria.
Mrs Hoggarth, said: “It is so important that schools are all getting together to talk about common concerns, and the increase that we are seeing of families in crisis. It is both working families and families receiving benefits. We are concerned about what will happen with the benefit changes in April. It is at the forefront of our agenda.”
Mrs Hoggarth said the heads can share experiences to support children and families and help young people be the best they can be.
First published at 17:30, Monday, 21 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
what have we come to. There will be poverty and abject poverty to consider i am sure. Think again those people who consider the public who go to the food bank are scroungers who just want a little extra because it is free. Would you take that chance and not support and feed children who are in need. I for one can not.
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Getting together to talk....hmmmmm.....and how many of these head teachers know anything about a child living in poverty. I have worked in many local schools over the last 10 years and know how these head teachers live comfortable lives on the outskirts of Furness, holidaying at every half term and hardly stepping foot inside the classroom or indeed with the poorest of children. So they know how to tackle the problem do they? How about spending a few days actually seeing the conditions some children's homes are in or watching where they go at night to avoid being at home. Don't hail them as saints, it all boiled down to the school budget changes and the funding for deprivation codes and yet again the children are just numbers.
Posted by PTO on 22 January 2013 at 08:53