Why SHINE?
In many respects, our education system works well. But not for all: in England today, those who most need the opportunities education can offer usually have the least chance of getting them.
We are regularly told that standards are rising and improving exam results are headline news every year. And it’s true – for most children, schools deliver: according to OECD comparative data, our 10 year olds rank third in reading; our 15 year olds come fourth in science and seventh in literacy.
For our poorest children, however, the picture is very different. By the age of six, a less able child from a well-off family will overtake a brighter pupil from a poor family. One year later, disadvantaged children are more than twice as likely to fall short of the expected level in English. No wonder the government admits that “the links between poor health, disadvantage and low educational outcomes are stark.”
The high price of a poor education
Underachievement at this young age usually leads to serious problems at secondary school and a bleak future ahead. Leaving school without any qualifications often brings a life sentence of unemployment, poor health and housing, and even imprisonment – 60% of all prisoners have difficulty reading.
This situation can cost these children their future but society also pays the price. According to a recent study by the KPMG Foundation*, by the time they reach the age of 37, each child leaving primary school with very low literacy skills will cost the taxpayer between £44,797 and £53,098 – costs incurred by truancy, poor job opportunities, increased health risks and a far greater risk of their involvement with the criminal justice system, among others. Given 6% of Britain’s 11 year olds – 38,700 children a year – find themselves in this position when they leave primary school, the cost to the taxpayer is calculated to fall between £1.73bn and £2.05bn every single year.
Effective solutions put into practice
There is now broad consensus on the importance of the value of enriched learning, personalised education and extended school hours. What’s more, most people support giving extra help to children in care, those with special educational needs and, not least, gifted students who need their brains challenged and their aspirations energised.
SHINE funds and develops educational programmes that target those most in need. Our projects operate in inner London and Manchester, where schools teach more children living in poverty and many more who struggle with English. We provide extended schooling via specialist after-school clubs, complementary classes on Saturdays and intensive literacy and numeracy support sessions. They use cutting edge methods, practical learning and outside trips to enrich the core curriculum. Some programmes target particularly vulnerable groups, such as refugees and children in care; others work with universities to stretch gifted children; all give valuable extra time, attention and support to those who need it most.
*The Long Term Costs of Literacy Difficulties, KPMG Foundation, 2006. To download a copy of this research in PDF format, click here. Download Now
