This monograph (in both English and French) examines the impact of poverty on children, with particular reference to the situation of poor children in Canadian elementary and secondary schools. Section 1 briefly introduces the topics of education and poverty. The link between poverty and children's physical and mental health and educational attainment is examined in Section 2. Section 3 discusses problems poor children experience in relation to school. These include hunger; inadequate child care; low self-esteem, motivation, expectations, and achievement; delayed cognitive development; interrupted school attendance; and illiteracy. Section 4 suggests that aspects of the home environment and school experience explain the poor school performance of children from low-income families. Section 5 profiles intervention programs that attempt to redress the problems experienced by poor children in school. These programs include: (1) school-based, and combined school- and home-based, interventions; (2) compensatory education in preschool and elementary grades; and (3) interventions that address literacy, school-to-work transition, and the situation of school dropouts. Several authors' opinions on equality of educational opportunity are presented in Section 6. Conclusions are listed in Section 7. Appended materials include a series of tables presenting data on poverty in Canada; a 44-item reference list; and the Canadian Teachers' Federation's policy on children and poverty. (BC)