A report from the Save the Children Charity observed the education level of children living in Scotland with a poor socio-economic background. Statistic showed that these children are failing in their education even before they start primary school. Children raised in poverty are 40% likely to be behind in cognitive development. They will most likely start primary school being twice as susceptible to develop emotional, physical, and communicative difficulties. Once they start school, there is a 50% chance that these children will have difficulty mixing with others. If children begin school behind their classmates, they will often have difficulties catching up.
“The long-term ramifications of these developmental difficulties for children in poverty are very serious,” Douglas Hamilton, the head of Scotland’s Save the Children, said. ”Ultimately, the consequences of this glaring gap are found in reduced future opportunities and life chances of children who live in poverty.”
With such results, the charity is calling for the government to provide better support to children in their early years.
A spokesman from the Scottish government spoke out on the issue: “It is completely unacceptable that any child in Scotland lives in poverty. This government is doing all we can within the devolved powers to tackle this problem head on, with the aim of eradicating child poverty by 2020.”
“Supporting our vulnerable young children is essential and the Children and Young People Bill will increase the entitlement to funded early learning and childcare to a minimum of 600 hours per year for all three and four-year-olds and two-year-olds who are looked after.”
The research was based on almost 3,000 children around the age of five who came from multiple socio-economic backgrounds throughout Scotland.
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