Barnardos’ Submission to NESF: Child Literacy and Social Inclusion

Abstract

Barnardos welcomes the opportunity to input into the NESF Child Literacy and Social Inclusion report. Barnardos predominantly works with children and families living in disadvantaged areas and encounters many children who experience educational difficulties through this work. We see the intergenerational cycles of poverty, educational disadvantage and social exclusion that are the daily lived experience of too many families. Educational disadvantage can take many forms including literacy difficulties and early school leaving. Experiencing literacy difficulties at an early age negatively impacts on a child’s learning and their overall school experience. It can then continue to blight their adult life through reducing their employment opportunities and locking them into the cycle of poverty.