Irish Examiner view: State allows cycle to begin at early age

Inequality highlighted

Evidence that economic inequality is quenching our children’s potential at a very young age is unsettling.

Any of those still clinging to the fanciful notion that Ireland does not have a class system should take a moment to review the latest findings from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on growing up in Ireland. Children from poorer families are likely to be less healthy, overweight or obese and feel less positive about school.

The study, a long-term project that tracks children at various stages of childhood, also found a “significant” gap in reading test scores based on children’s backgrounds. Children from high-income households scored some 10% higher than those from disadvantaged backgrounds.