News article review: ‘Punishing poverty’ – An attack on the educational needs of working-class children

New funding has been approved to tackle educational underachievement in Northern Ireland. While many schools and communities were joyous upon hearing about the £20 million investment into the education of local children and young people, the eligibility criteria left some schools perplexed. One primary school teacher was particularly disappointed upon hearing that of the 400 plus schools identified as eligible to receive this funding, his school, despite being in one of the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland, was not eligible. Yet, 40 grammar schools including a prep school, i.e. a fee-paying school, were identified as eligible for this funding. This sparks a wider discussion regarding classism and educational inequality.