Make the Grade

Abstract

The intrinsic right to an education is guaranteed to every child in Ireland under Section 42 of the Irish Constitution. Articles 28 and 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child give further voice to those rights. Educational disadvantage limits the ability of the child to reach their full potential both in childhood and adult life. Their hopes and aspirations for the future are narrowed. Barnardos works with children and families in designated disadvantaged areas and meets many children who are experiencing difficulties in benefiting from education. We see the intergenerational cycles of poverty, educational disadvantage and social exclusion that are the daily lived experience of too many families. Make the Grade is the first time Barnardos has brought together our experiences and thoughts on educational disadvantage. This document gives a voice to children and families to express what they experience in relation to education, how it affects them and also offers evidence based policy recommendations.