Not a single GCSE for nearly half of UK's poorest children

Brittany Walker

March 8, 2009

11:40 p.m.

Nearly half of all children from low income families fail to achieve at least a C on the GCSE. The official statistics show how the education system is failing children from poorer backgrounds. Statistics also show that of the 75,000 GCSE-age pupils who received free school meals last year, a total of 31,647 did not get a C or above in any subject. The underachievement of children from less fortunite families is immitated by high rates of truancy. Ten per cent of children who recieve free school meals are categorised as ‘persistent truants’ which is three times the rate for other students.
There is a high drop-out rate of students who recieve free school meals after GCSE, and only about 5,000 of the 75,000 go on to study A-levels.

I was very suprised what the statistics proved. I was really dissapointed when I found out that the education was failing children from poorer backgrounds. It seems like the school system would have tried to help the students who came from families who were less well-off than the others more than the richer families, due to the lack of family support and guidence that the students recieve. If I were a parent and I noticed that my child was not performing at the grade level that he or she should be performing at I would be very upset and direct the problem to the board of education until something was done about the situation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1160314/Not-single-GCSE-nearly-half-UKs-poorest-children.html