The Select Committee of Tynwald on Poverty (2021) has recently published its report on Child Poverty: Education and Health Solutions.

Continuing the Committee’s programme of inquiries into the causes and impacts of poverty on the Island, this report focuses on the experiences of children and families, and in particular the role of education and health systems in shaping life outcomes. The Committee identified a persistent attainment gap between children from lower-income backgrounds and their peers, alongside wider challenges linked to mental health, early development and access to support.  

Notably, while the evidence shows that the factors which lead to lower academic achievement begin in early childhood, even high-achieving children from lower-income backgrounds who perform well at a young age can fall behind their peers as they progress through the education system. This indicates that the disparity both emerges early and persists over time, and is therefore amenable to sustained intervention.

The Committee’s report makes a series of recommendations aimed at breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. These call for a proactive approach from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture in tackling the attainment gap, stronger early intervention, improved data collection and monitoring of outcomes, the development of a more joined-up, “family hub” model of support, and greater support for adults seeking to re-enter education.

Reflecting upon the report, Committee Chair Juan Watterson SHK commented that:

This report is the latest in the Poverty Committee’s ongoing work to improve the lives of low-income families on our Island. This report sets out clear evidence that child poverty is holding back educational attainment and affecting health outcomes on the Island. It identifies where the system is falling short and makes practical, evidence‑based recommendations on early intervention, data, and joined‑up support, so that every child has a fair chance to succeed.

The report and its recommendations will be considered and debated at the July 2026 sitting of Tynwald.

More information about the membership and work of the Committee can be found on the Tynwald website.

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For further information contact:

Clerk to the Committee
Legislative Buildings, Douglas, IM1 3PW
Tel: (01624) 685500
Email: committees@tynwald.org.im