Week 3 Assignment number 2: Surge in Homeless Pupils Strains Schools

Upon Reading the article "Surge in Homeless Pupils Strains Schools" by Eric Eckholm I found myself in a state of wondering how outside factors affected the educational goals and endeavors of a child. In the article, examples of children faced with the strain of having to go to school and return to no home of their own has been addressed by local school administrations. The article is upsetting, but not only from an educational stand point, but also from the standpoint of not being able to understand the situation of the various families who are not able to find homes to place their children in. From an educational point of view, I now wonder how the children that belong to homeless families are doing in school; how does their living situation affect their ability to make the grades necessary to pass them on to the next grade and continue their education? As it is made note of in the article, the stress of not living in a home does affect the children, but it has to be in more ways than just affecting how they eat and sleep, which are two factors that have been documented in affecting the everyday learning of a child. I agree with the article to a certain extent. Pupils being homeless does put a strain on the schools, but I believe the true strain is put on the students more than anyone else.