'The Toughest Start’ – Families Struggle With Back-to-school Costs As Schools Brace For Another Tumultuous Year

Low decile schools are preparing for a tumultuous start to the school year, warning children in poverty will be missing from classrooms as families struggle with both back-to-school costs, and the impact of Omicron.

Staff in nearly two hundred schools and early childhood centres supported by KidsCan have shared heart-breaking stories of the choices some families are forced to make at the start of the school year, with this year expect to be the toughest year as the Covid-19 pandemic enters its third year.

“Covid-19 has impacted on many of our families’ ability to provide adequately for their children,” one principal wrote. “There has been a marked increase in families needing support in the form of food parcels and food vouchers.”

Teachers surveyed say parents are going hungry to pay for uniforms, siblings are sharing a bus pass meaning only one can attend each day, and students are staying home due to the shame of not having the correct supplies. “One family paid for their uniforms then had no money for power and food,” a teacher reported.

Schools in Auckland are particularly concerned the number of students returning this year “will drop dramatically” as they have taken jobs to help their families survive. Many said students had spent last year’s lockdown in substandard, overcrowded homes, without access to a device or the internet. “The anxiety and stress levels are now taking its toll on perseverance and engagement,” a principal wrote.

In response, low decile schools are going well beyond teaching to support students. They detailed measures including fundraising for stationery, applying for uniform grants, providing free transport, a laundry service on site, and employing staff to help families access support from external agencies.

Teachers are also shouldering back-to-school costs, so students don’t miss the start of the year. “Experiencing children not having the tools to learn at the beginning of the year is all too common,” one wrote. “‘How does it affect attendance?’ is not the real question. How does it affect mental wellbeing when you are the odd one out without the tools to learn? It’s soul destroying. It makes you want to give up and not go to school.”

KidsCan aims to ease the burden on children, families, and schools by taking care of essentials including breakfast, snacks, hot meals, jackets, shoes, and health items. The charity has just expanded its support to 25 more schools and 10 early childhood centres, bringing the total it supports to a record 854 schools and 122 ECE centres nationwide. Thousands of children are still waiting for help.

“The impact of Omicron means for many students this will be the toughest start to the year yet,” KidsCan’s CEO and founder Julie Chapman says. “Families are having to make heart-breaking choices, like whether to equip their children with the tools they need for learning or buy enough food. Students are starting school with a sense of shame that they do not have the right uniform or stationery, and they don't want to go.

“Teachers are doing all they can to ease the burden, but they can’t do it alone. We need help to support schools, so children start the year with the same opportunity to succeed as anyone else."

KidsCan is asking for donations to help families with back-to-school costs as Omicron arrives. To donate visit: www.kidscan.org.nz

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