For example, Douglas found that working-class parents placed less value on education, were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement, and took less interest in their education. They visited schools less often and were less likely to discuss their children’s progress with teachers, and as a result, their children had lower levels of achievement. Leon Feinstein (1998) also took this view, and argued that working class parents’ lack of interest was the more important than financial hardship or factors within school. However, critical of this, Tessa Blackstone and Jo Mortimore (1994) argue that working class parents attend fewer parents’ evenings because they working longer or less regular hours, or are put off by the school’s middle class atmosphere – NOT because of a lack of interest. There is also evidence that schools with mainly working class pupils have less effective systems of parent-school contacts, making it harder for parents to keep in touch about their children’s progress.
Cultural deprivation theorists see the lack of intellectual and linguistic skills as a major cause of underachievement for many minority children. They argue that many children from low-income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. This leaves them poorly equipped for school because they have not been able to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills. Another concern is that children who do not speak English at home may be held back educationally. However, the Swan Report 1985 found that language was not a major factor in underachievement, while David Gilborn notes than Indian pupils do very well despite often not having English as their home language.
Material depravation is the lack of money and resources in the home. Sociologists who are ‘material depravation sociologists’ believe that the main cause of underachievement is lack of money and resources due to poverty. Overcrowding can lead to children not being able to study/ do homework, there may also be disturbed sleep, also, in a crowded household, children have a higher risk of accident. Families living in temporary housing will also be worse off as it means the child may have disrupted education. Howard (2001) noted that young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins, and minerals.
Cultural deprivation is the theory that many working class and black children are inadequately socialised and therefore lack the “right” culture needed for educational needs. There are two factors to this; internal and external. The internal factors consist of factors within education such as pupils, teachers and inequality between schools. The external factors are outside the education system. There are three main aspects to cultural deprivation.
However white working class suggests that the cause of education underachievement is a mixture of culture and class. The reasons for ethnic differences can be internal or external factors which are things such as cultural deprivation, material deprivation and racism theorists argue that underachievement these may then result to inadequate socialisation in the home. One major factor being the lack of intellectual and linguistic skills being taught to children, in addition children in ethnic minorities are less likely to take part in activities that are intellectually enriching due to material deprivation, leaving these students poorly equipped for school. In addition the language spoken by ethnic minority families tend to be inadequate for educational success as English may not be the child’s first language and so they may struggle more than white British children. However some sociologists argue that Asian and Indian children do just as well if not better than white middle class students despite not speaking English at home.
2.2 Explain how children and young people's development is influenced by a range of external factors POVERTY AND DEPRIVATION Negative Factors * Poor Health - Not having a varied range of good quality food or nutrition available. Limited access if any to medical treatments/supplies. * Appearance/Personal Hygiene - Not having the appropriate or necessary items, to keep appearances or hygiene to an acceptable level. * Poor Education - Unable to attend school, truancy, unable to afford resources both in and out of school i.e. at home therefore not encouraging the child or young person to progress in their development away from school.
The first reason is housing. Poor housing can affect pupil’s achievement both directly and indirectly. For example over crowding can have a direct effect by making it harder for the child to study. Overcrowding means less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework, disturbed sleep from sharing beds or bedrooms. For young children especially, development can be impaired thought
Secondly, some kids could be lacking motivation for the study and thus would neglect their opportunity for learning and school rules at the same time. Thirdly, children can have the desire of missing school if they have some relationship problems with other students or school personnel.The forth reason for the school absence is that children can be stressed out because they are overwhelmed with their sudies and from time to time they can miss school because of that. The reasons for the tardiness could be again not satisfactory level of the discipline of the children, kids being overwhelmed with the school(going to bed late because of it and having problems for getting themselves ready for school in time in the mornings) and also just regular traffic problems on children's way to school. 2. What theories are reflected in the different views and approaches recommended by the teachers and the principal?
Black students’ schools buildings were not beautiful as if buildings of White students’ schools. They were very poor constructions and repairs. In addition, the nonsense segregation in education caused distinctions of curriculums between white and blacks schools. The Topeka curriculum or any school curriculum could not be equal under segregation. Students were not getting good education because of different and deficient curriculums.
He believed that people were ignorant and shouldn’t be allowed to rule themselves. For, without the proper knowledge, people make poor choices all the time. Look at Freedom. A good school in general, but in it students demonstrate poor decision making every day. Students get it fights, take drugs, drink alcohol, skip classes and do things that just don’t make sense.