Myths about poverty and hardship exist in our schools and could be holding back our work to support disadvantaged students. Sean Harris considers the most common of these myths and what we can do to dispel them
Image: Adobe Stock -

Poverty is on the radar of many schools, charities, and policy-makers. However, between the political rhetoric and most people’s limited lived experience of hardship, poverty can often be misunderstood. In this article I would like to bust some myths, drawing on my experience working in schools and also as a doctoral researcher investigating poverty and educational inequality in education.

 

Myth 1: “We just need to raise the aspirations of those in poverty”

Behind this statement sits a belief that low income equates to low aspiration. Yet there is limited evidence to suggest that families and students struggling in poverty have low ambitions or that they do not want to achieve academically.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here