<p>
	Children from low-income families are less likely to feel like their teachers understand them, and are also less likely to ask their parents for help with homework.</p>
<p>
	That&rsquo;s according to a new report launched by Barnardos this morning which calls for primary school education to be made completely free, at an estimated cost of around &euro;103m a year - or an extra &euro;185 per pupil.</p>
<p>
	Barnardos CEO, Fergus Finlay, said: &quot;Thay are much more likely to be in larger classrooms, they are much more likely to be in schools that don&rsquo;t have all the facilities they need.</p>
<p>
	&quot;You are going to find, as a consequence of that, that children are struggling in school.&quot;</p>
<p>
	Head of Advocacy with Barnardos, June Tinsley, says that children can be very aware of the circumstances that they are in, and how that may affect their growth.</p>
<p>
	She said: &quot;Some young people commented how they don&rsquo;t like where they live, because it&#39;s exposed to anti-social behaviour and the garda&iacute; are frequently around.</p>
<p>
	&quot;Others are shielded from the realities, because parents are making a number of sacrifices.&quot;</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/report-finds-children-from-poorer-backgrounds-feel-teachers-dont-understand-them-698267.html">http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/report-finds-children-from-poorer-backgrounds-feel-teachers-dont-understand-them-698267.html</a></p>
