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ATL comment on the Child Poverty Bill
12 June 2009
Commenting on Child Poverty Bill, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:
"ATL is delighted the government has brought in a Bill to future-proof its 2020 child poverty target, but is sorry that in years of relative plenty it could not do more on its 2010 target which has quietly disappeared. The government has not done enough to create jobs, set a decent minimum wage, or a benefits system that people can understand. Ending child poverty, thus reducing inequality in society, is the single most important way to improve the educational achievement of the nation's children."
Notes to editors:
- The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing approximately 160,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in maintained and independent nurseries, schools, sixth form, tertiary and further education colleges in the United Kingdom.
- ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first-rate research, advice, information and legal advice.
- ATL is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). The union is a member of the social partnership - working with the UK government, employers and other unions on education issues. ATL is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.