West Midlands charity says child poverty needs to be tackled as 500,000 children in the UK report being bullied
There is a rise in children going hungry and attending school in dirty clothes across the country
A new poll shows that 500,000 children who live in poverty are being bullied in the UK.
More than 400,000 children are arriving to school in dirty clothes as their parents cannot afford to wash them and 250,000 children are reportedly going hungry during an average school day.
The poll has been released to commissioned by Parent kind with the support of the National Education Union (NEU). They are urging the Government to make sure that the cost of school is not the missing chapter from the Government's much anticipated Child Poverty Strategy, due to be published this summer.
Parents are struggling to make ends meet with school costs with many are spending a quarter of their disposable income on their child's education alone.
We've been speaking with Barrie Hodges from St Basils, a charity in the West Midlands which supports young people and their families living in poverty.
Barrie says this is something which needs to be tackled quickly: "If we don't tackle these issues and we do not focus more on prevention then charities like ours are called upon to really step in.
"The way child poverty manifests itself within a school environment is that it has a huge impact on the child's ability to learn and concentrate and they don't have the ability to fully engage with the classroom.
"They also have the added pressures of being around their peers within these circumstances which can effect their wellbeing and mental health."
General Secretary of the National Education Union, Daniel Kebede said:
"With nine children in every class of 30 growing up in poverty, teachers and school leaders see the very real impact this has on our children and young people.
"This report highlights how many families across Britain are struggling with everyday costs - and the devastating impact this is having on the mental wellbeing of both children and their parents.
"The Child Poverty Strategy is a huge opportunity for government to act decisively to lift thousands of families out of poverty, and to ensure that every child has the best chance in school. This is not an opportunity they can afford to miss."
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