Transcript Save the Children

Child Poverty and Social Exclusion in Europe
Christian Morabito
Joint EMPL-CULT
Hearing, European Parliament, Brussels
26.02.2015
Setting the Stage…
One of the main causes of youth unemployment is the mismatch
between skills required by the labour market and those actually acquired
by the youth (Hughes & Borbély-Pecze, 2012).
What skills? Cognitive skills are crucial (e.g. competencies measured
through PISA or other internationally recognized assessments), but also
‘non-cognitive’, as highlighted by J. Heckman, Nobel Memorial Prize
Laureate in Economic Sciences (Kautz et al., 2014). These are personality
traits, motivation, aspiration, sociability.
Setting the Stage…
Tackling deprivation in childhood is an obligation – not an option:
UNCRC, Lisbon Treaty (Art. 3), EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
(Art. 24)
And also a key preventive strategy to tackle future skills deficiencies,
resulting potentially in early school leaving and youth unemployment.
Educational disadvantages tend to be transmitted across generations.
Vulnerable and marginalised children are particularly affected (Roma
children, children with disabilities, children with a migrant background).
Tackling deprivation in childhood is economically advantageous.
Clear EU added value in addressing these challenges together.
Children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Europe
More than 26 million children in Europe are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (EU
member states and Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) – 27.7% in the EU (EU-SILC
2014). Child poverty hits every European country, including the traditionally egalitarian
Nordic welfare states, and countries with higher GDPs per capita (Save the Children,
2014).
Between 2008 and 2013, the number of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in
Europe went up by almost 1 million with an increase of around half a million between
2011 and 2013 (EU 28 and Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). This situation is
aggravated by the economic crisis: increasing unemployment, and deteriorating
employment conditions, along with cutting of social transfers, including child income
support schemes and essential health and childcare services (Save the Children, 2014).
More needs to be done to achieve the Europe 2020 anti-poverty target, notably in
relation to children
Child poverty as deprivation of ‘educational opportunities’
Poverty and social exclusion are usually measured in relation to households’
income, employment and deprivation (AROPE). However, this provides only a
partial picture of the disadvantage and exclusion faced by a growing number of
children in Europe. Child poverty also means that children are not able to
acquire cognitive and non-cognitive skills and capabilities that enable them
to reach their full potential and to make their talents and aspirations flourish
in a world characterized by knowledge economy, innovation, and connectivity.
Educational poverty (i.e. deprivation of ‘educational opportunities’ to acquire
cognitive and non-cognitive skills) refers, above all, to access and quality of formal
and informal education since early childhood, as well as educational outcomes.
Only 28% of children in the EU access to educational services before age 3
and 83% from age 3 to compulsory schooling. Share of early school leavers
still above 10% (12%) (EU-SILC 2014 and LFS 2014).
Europe 2020: a critical review
Only few indicators refer to children and youth, notably the at-risk-of-poverty and social exclusion
rates and early school leaving/NEET. However, the complexity of child poverty requires to adopt a
wider range of indicators, exploring multi-dimensional aspects (material and non-material). Thus, it is
crucial to assess educational poverty as the deprivation of opportunities for learning to know, as
cognitive skills, but also to be, to be together, and to do, thus the non-cognitive skills (Save the
Children Italy, 2014).
Determinants of inequalities are not captured. Indicators for children (a part from the AROPE)
are not systematically disaggregated by parents’ socio-economic status, gender, disability, migrant
background etc. This prevents to harmonize employment and educational policies and does not yet
capture root causes of poverty and disadvantage, resulting in later negative outcomes throughout life,
e.g. early school leaving and youth unemployment.
Voices of children are not heard. According to United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child, children have the right to be heard and to participate in decisions that affect them, and can
often provide important insights and expertise about their experiences that adults may not identify or
prioritize.
The Example of the Index of Educational Poverty
Save the Children Italy
In 2014, Save the Children Italy developed a first Index of Educational Poverty,
with the contribution of eminent Italian academics, policy-makers and in
cooperation with Oxford University.
The Index, in its first year, particularly assessed the deprivation of accessibility
and ‘quality’ educational services in ‘schools’ and in the ‘learning
environment’ which contribute to the development of cognitive and noncognitive skills and is assessed for children from age 3-17 in all Italian regions.
The 14 indicators that are part of the Index, have been selected according to data
made available by the Italian Ministry of Education and Italy’s National Statistical
Institute, and also thanks to public consultations with children and youth from
across the country.
Indicators
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Public provision of early childhood education and care services
Full-time classes at primary school
Full-time classes at lower secondary school
School complexes with a school meals service
Schools with a certificate of occupancy
Classrooms with Internet access
School dropout rate
Children who have been to the theatre
Children who have been to a museum or exhibition
Children who have visited a monument or archaeological site
Children who have been to a concert
Children who regularly practise a sport
Children who use the Internet
Children who have read a book
Ranking
Campania
1
Puglia
2
Calabria
2
Sicilia
3
Molise
4
Abruzzo
5
Sardegna
6
Umbria
7
Basilicata
8
Lazio
9
Piemonte
10
Liguria
11
Toscana
12
Marche
13
Veneto
14
Emilia-Romagna
15
Lombardia
16
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
17
Impact of the Index and follow up
Partnership agreement for the EU Structural Funds between Italy
and the European Commission identified educational poverty as a
priority, referring to the Index as a tool to monitor progresses across the
regions, and target financing.
Italian Government proposed an educational reform based on many
reccomendations highlighted in the Index’s report.
The Index might provide a valid example on how to construct
measurements of child poverty and social exclusion in a participatory and
multi-dimensional way, i.e. educational, along with considerations on
accessibility, quality of services, and geographical gradients. Further
studies: Save the Children Spain (towards a European report on
educational poverty)
What can the European Union do?
To adopt specific child poverty and social exclusion sub-indicators - to be
monitored through the European Semester via an ad hoc product annexed to the
Joint Employment Report – in order to assess the multi-dimensional aspects of
poverty such as educational disadvantage and deprivation of educational opportunities.
This will help addressing current and future social and economic problems, i.e. youth
unemployment. These indicators should be rights-based and based on the existing and
indispensable EC Recommendation on ‘Investing in Children’:
 Europe 2020 sub-target on reducing child poverty; national (sub-)targets on
reducing child poverty
 Indicators pertaining non-cognitive skills, which are usually neglected, but equally
important. These skills can be developed through leisure, cultural activities, civic
engagement, quality of family and social relations, life satisfaction and happiness
What can the European Union do?
 Indicators of quality of educational services, in school and ‘out of
school’ (formal and informal education)
 Further data and indicators allowing to observe gradients in both access
to quality services and outcomes, e.g. in relation to the socio-economic
status and background of parents (e.g. migrant or minority
background), gender, disability, and geographical aspects;
 Indicators designed and selected through active participation of children
and youth, who have to be consulted when planning, developing and
implementing policies as well during monitoring and evaluation processes
of policies.
Contacts
Christian Morabito
Researcher Child Poverty and Social Exclusion
Save the Children
[email protected]
Manuela Smolinski
Advocacy Adviser
Save the Children
[email protected]