Long-term exposure to poverty linked to poorer reading scores and lower educational aspirations among children, new ESRI research using Growing Up in Ireland data finds

A new report from a research programme between the ESRI and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality investigates the processes that link child poverty to poorer educational outcomes at ages 9 and 13. The home learning environment, participation in out-of-school activities and the quality of teacher-student relationships all play important roles in accounting for the link between child poverty and educational outcomes.

About this study:

This study draws on Growing Up in Ireland Cohort ’08 data at five time points, when the child was 9 months, 3 years, 5 years, 9 years, and 13 years. Persistent poverty is measured by the number of surveys in which children were living in households in the lowest income quintile and/or experiencing great difficulty making ends meet.

Key findings:

• Reading test scores at age 9 and verbal fluency test scores at age 13 decline with each additional period in poverty.

• Test scores at 9 and 13 are lower in part because of the impact of persistent poverty on the home learning environment such as access to books, reading to the child at age 5, and other activities that help enhance cognitive development.

• Children living in poverty are less likely to be involved in cultural and sports activities, which play an important role in explaining the impact of poverty on test scores at age 9.

• Teacher and school factors, especially the quality of teacher-student relationships, become a more significant influence on measures of cognitive development in adolescence.

• While attitudes to school are broadly positive at 9 years, 9 per cent of children who were persistently poor (in 3 or more periods) ‘never like school’ compared to 4 per cent of those who were never poor. Similar gaps in attitudes are seen at 13 years.

• School and teacher factors, particularly the quality of relationships between teachers and students, play a significant role in accounting for more negative attitudes to school among children living in persistent poverty at 13. Home learning environment, lower participation in out-of-school activities and neighbourhood factors all play a weaker role.

• Thirteen-year-olds living in persistent poverty have lower educational expectations than their peers: 79 per cent of those who were never poor expect to get a degree-level qualification; this falls to 62 per cent among children who were persistently poor.

• This difference in educational expectations by poverty exposure is influenced by teacher/school factors as well as the home learning environment.

Prof Emer Smyth, co-author of the report, said

“The findings point to the importance of providing access to a range of extra-curricular activities and promoting parent–child reading. Better quality relationships between teachers and students are found to enhance school and subject engagement, educational expectations and cognitive development, so school climate is key in addressing the impact of poverty on children and young people.”

Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality said

“These findings, based on findings from Growing Up in Ireland data, show the importance of tackling child poverty given the impact that it has on children’s education and life opportunities. Helping children to access supports at home as well as at school, and providing after-school access to sports, drama, art and music are important parts of giving every child the best possible start. Initiatives such as the free children’s books provided under the “My Little Library” scheme and the funding of new play and recreation spaces are an important part of that work.”