“I saw children falling through the cracks due to undiagnosed learning difficulties and pupils from poorer families coming in late or without breakfast. That was when I became aware of the true power of education. For these children, it was the only opportunity to get out of poverty and make a difference in the lives of their families.”
From a fishing village on the Caribbean island of St Lucia to the University of York, the goal to champion the power of education has taken Dr Gill Francis and her daughter across the world.
Now an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Education, Gill is producing the kind of research she wishes she had access to as a young teacher. Her goal is to close the gap between theory and practice to ensure no child is left behind.
“Within all of us, there is great potential. It is unfortunate if we can't realise that potential simply because no one opened the door.”
