Child poverty to be addressed at school

The education system can play an important role in dealing with child poverty, but it needs help from the government. That is the message of a press statement issued yesterday by the Flemish Education Council (Vlor). Vlor recommends increasing the school subsidies for parents with low incomes and to link the price of before- and after-school care to family income. Vlor is also asking for a guideline for schools on how to handle unpaid invoices.

According to the organisation, teachers should learn how to better detect and respond to poverty-related issues via specific and on-going training throughout their careers. The government should give schools and the pupil support agency CLB more means to employ experts that can “bridge the gap between the life of the child and the school environment,” it said.