Martin Narey, Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, writing in The Guardian on why education is important:
Educational disadvantage starts at a very young age – recent research indicates that children from impoverished backgrounds fall behind children born to parents who are financially more comfortable at 22 months. By the age of three, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are already up to a year behind their more advantaged peers. This gap widens as they progress through school. By the time they reach 14, many disadvantaged children are two years behind their classmates, and are destined for a lifetime of under-achievement.
This matters because how well a child does in school has long-term implications for the individual and for society. Young people who leave school with few if any qualifications are more likely to be unemployed or end up in a low skilled, low paid job, more likely to get pregnant younger, more likely to get involved in drug and alcohol abuse and more serious crime.
Filed under: risk and protective factors , school as a protective factor
