Teachers in the East of England expect more pupils to end up on the dole than ever before, new research by The Prince's Trust has revealed today.

Teachers in the East of England expect more pupils to end up on the dole than ever before, new research by The Prince's Trust has revealed.

Two-thirds of secondary school teachers surveyed in this region – 67pc – are 'increasingly worried' their pupils will end up on benefits due to high unemployment levels while one in three – or 32pc – feel their efforts to help pupils become employable are 'in vain'.

Half fear more youngsters than ever will end up relying on government handouts.

The survey, which was carried out last month, also suggests the difficult financial climate is having a concerning effect on the welfare of youngsters.

Two-thirds of teachers in the East reported regularly findings pupils coming to school hungry while nearly eight out of 10 – or 79pc – see them arriving in dirty clothes.

In both cases, the problems have increased since the start of the recession.

Some teachers admitted buying food for struggling pupils from their own wages.

Graham Ball, East of England regional director of The Prince's Trust, said tales of the recession harming young school or university leavers who cannot find jobs are well known but now the victims were getting younger.

He said: 'The recession is already damaging the hopes of more than a million young people who are struggling to find a job. Now young people in schools are next in line.

'We cannot allow them to become the next victims of this recession. With the right support it is possible for pupils to achieve their ambitions, rather than becoming a 'lost generation'. Government, charities and employers must work with teachers now to support vulnerable young people giving them the skills they need to find a job in the future.'

Last night Dawn Jackson, founder of the Norwich-based Future Projects and now a social inclusion consultant working in Norfolk and Suffolk, said the key to tackling deprivation was for organisations to work together.

She said: 'There needs to be measures to address the problems that children have, to provide a better future, and do that by providing good education and good support provision.'

Alison Thomas, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for children's services, said the authority's investment in developing and promoting apprenticeships for young people, work to ensure pupils left school with qualifications the needed, and the government's pupil premium funding all aimed to improve the life chances of Norfolk's young people.

She added: 'We continue to work closely with our partners in both the public and voluntary sector to identify families in need and have just received additional funding from government to develop our work with 'troubled families', supporting those families affected by a range of issues including unemployment and poor school attendance.'

Teachers completing the national Prince's Trust survey were asked to provide personal insights on the issues they see pupils facing in their schools.

One said: 'On a daily basis, I witness one child who never changes his clothes at all, so all term he has been wearing the same two hoodies and jeans.'

Others reported seeing 'scavenger pupils finishing off scraps, as they haven't eaten enough' and a pupil who comes in to school 'to have food and get warm' while their family struggles to pay the bills.

The Prince's Trust aims to help 50,000 vulnerable young people this year, giving them the skills and confidence to find a job. Last year, more than three in four of young people on Prince's Trust schemes moved into work, education or training.