MATERIAL DEPRIVATION | External factors for class differences in achievement

What is material deprivation?

Material deprivation refers to the idea that poverty and a lack of necessary materials like adequate housing or income is the cause of educational underachievement.

How does housing affect educational success?

Poor housing can affect pupils achievement directly and indirectly. For example, overcrowding in a house means that there will be less room or no suitable environment for homework or studying and children may also get disturbed sleep from sharing beds or bedrooms which can also affect success.

Poor quality of housing can also affect a child since they may be more prone to illnesses.

If a child is moving houses as they are in temporary accommodation, they will have to move school or have absences which also disrupts school.

What sociologist can be associated with diet and health as a form of material deprivation?

Marilyn Howard

How can diet and health affect educational success?

Marilyn Howard notes young people from poor homes have poor nutrition which directly affects health by weakening the immune system and lowering energy levels which may result in more absences from school as a result of illnesses and low energy in classes.

Also argued that children from poor homes are more likely to have behavioural or emotional problems which also have a negative effect on educational success.

How can finance and the cost of education have an affect on educational success?

If a child is from a poor family, it is likely that they will have to do without equipment or stationary as well as miss out on experiences that often enhance and improve an educational experience which leads to improved educational success. The cost of things like transport, uniforms, books, computers, calculators, sports or clubs, stationary etc can be too expensive for some poorer families to provide.

This leads to children having to have hand-me-downs and cheaper equipment which may lead to the child feeling isolated and bullied as people around them will have what they don’t.

How may the fear of debt affect educational success?

Children who are from poorer or working class families will typically be deterred from going to university as they will have a fear of going into debt over tuition fees, living expenses and everything required for university.