Abstract:

The contribution reveals very serious and a re-emerging theme in the 21st century, that is a situation of pupils living in poverty and in unsatisfactory living conditions. The link between school success and a quality of family background is unquestionable. Lately there have been many discussions on a political level as well as social science and a question of a new poverty look arises and its impacts on lives of people mainly children. This contribution brings a view at life conditions of pupils who live in a situation of family material need. It focuses on families who live in the environment of an alternative living, in places which are not primarily intended for permanent living of families with children. In the context of socioeconomic and political situation of the Czech Republic these families have been living in hostels for a long time which are intended for migrating workers. As far as the view of the European typology of homelessness and exclusion from living these families are placed in a category of people without a house/flat (houseless). The goal of the paper is to analyse and describe life conditions of children, which lead them towards school failure. The structure of the paper is based on three pillars, the first one is represented by a theoretical anchoring of the studied issue, furthermore the surveyed issue is described in terms of up-to-date valid European standards and recommended measures and the third pillar is an authentic view at families’ lives. Identification of risk factors is a part of the study where attention is also paid to protective factors, which could help to solve situation of children at school. The number of children living in conditions of extreme material need is not high within the Czech Republic, however there are thousands of children, whose life conditions make it difficult to an access of quality education. For a research plan, a qualitative strategy had been chosen in terms of the children attend different schools and with regard to sensitivity of the issue, which enabled to reveal and describe a detailed character of the issue, which families face. The contribution is based on research results from field research survey, which was made in natural environment of the children. In order to collect data, deep interviews with parents were used as well as observation and documents´ analysis. Selected procedures of grounded theory had been used for data collection and processing. In accordance with the chosen research strategy the survey phenomenon is introduced within in a structural context in which it takes place.

Keywords:

Compulsory school attendance, pupils with social disadvantages, premature termination of educational pathway, teaching assistant, inclusive education, social exclusion, homelessness, material deprivation, social help, Europe 2020, European platform for combating poverty and social exclusion, capabilities, the capability approach.