European Anti-Poverty Network: Let’s make education a way out of poverty

The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) published a report of the 17th European Meeting of People Experiencing Poverty (PeP), held in November last year on the topic of poverty & access to education.

The many results of the meeting, which used the ‘world café’ participative methodology, combined with interactive panel discussions with leading policy-makers, are very well-captured in this visual report!

A shorter report with full take-home messages from table talks on 15 questions is also available after being finalised by the PeP National Coordinators.

Too many people remain in poverty, and real-life skills are not given the credit they deserve in job-searches. Children still leave school too early, feel excluded or that their talents are not nurtured in crowded schools. Joined-up solutions involving families, communities, students, teachers, social actors, NGOs and the non-formal education sector are needed to deliver innovative ways of working with children (and their families) and adults. Formal and non-formal education need to be connected to create a holistic life-long learning approach which leaves no one behind.

Jackie Stockdale, a mother of three primary school-aged children in the UK, said that “more joined-up thinking” is needed…“These hidden costs [school trips; books] must be eliminated for children to progress!”

Among the 120 participants were national delegations of EAPN members, representatives from civil society and trade unions, and volunteer groups from 28 countries. As in previous years, the PEP Meeting was a unique opportunity to share their stories of hardship and hope with one another, and with EU decision-makers. Open discussion was promoted throughout the one-and-a-half day event.

We hope this work will contribute to eradicating this unacceptable situation, and that the voices of people experiencing poverty will be heard by you.

We ask that you take on board the key messages presented in your own policy work. We would also like to meet with you to discuss our concerns and how we can work together as civil society partners to get results on poverty and social rights, or how you could engage with the next PeP Meeting – we are now underway with preparations for this year’s Meeting in November!

See the section dedicated to the PEP Meetings on EAPN.EU

Access the short report

Access the complete report