Former prime minister Gordon Brown has said a Labour government could be 鈥渁 landmark in turning the tide against child poverty鈥�, as leaders demanded the issue takes centre stage. Writing for Schools Week, ASCL president John Camp said 鈥渃hildhood poverty and family destitution is the most pressing social policy issue鈥� which 鈥渟its at the very heart of some of the major challenges facing the education system鈥�. 鈥淭he next government must show determination and ambition in its desire to eradicate childhood poverty,鈥� said Camp, also chief executive of The Compass Partnership of Schools. 鈥淚f it does, our sector can be pivotal in helping it achieve that aim.鈥� A study in April found there are now 4,000 school-based food banks in England 鈥� more than run by charities 鈥� equating to one in five schools. Speaking in a , Labour鈥檚 deputy leader Angela Rayner said it would be the 鈥渞esponsibility of the whole cabinet, driven by the prime minister, to end the child poverty we are seeing at the minute鈥�. Rayner and Brown A Programme for International Student Assessment study found one in ten youngsters in England skipped meals at least once a week, on par with countries like Mexico and Moldova. A Unicef study last year also found UK child poverty levels leapt by about 20 per cent between 2012 and 2021. ‘Schools should be integral’ School leaders have called for a cross-government poverty strategy. Children鈥檚 commissioner Rachel de Souza wants a poverty tsar. Camp added schools 鈥渟hould be integral to the development of cross-governmental policies to transform children鈥檚 lives across the country鈥�. Labour has pledged a cross-government taskforce to tackle the issue, with child poverty reduction experts 鈥渁t the heart of this work鈥�. 鈥淟abour will put a focus on reducing child poverty at the centre of how we secure opportunity for children and young people from every background and every corner of our country,鈥� the party鈥檚 missions document added. Brown, Labour prime minister from 2007 to 2010, said that 鈥渆very department is really a children鈥檚 department鈥�. 鈥淭here鈥檚 initiatives that could start immediately to make a huge difference. This next Labour government has a chance to be a landmark in turning the tide against child poverty.鈥�