30 August 2012
Immediate Release
NZEI backs call for living wage for the sake of children’s education
Poverty is having a huge impact on the education and aspirations of thousands of children in this country, says NZEI Te
Riu Roa Past President Frances Nelson.
And she says it’s not just children of beneficiaries who are living in poverty. Many children of working parents are
missing out because they simply don’t have enough income to support a family.
As the principal of a lower decile school in South Auckland, Frances Nelson says the effects of poverty are seen every
day in the classroom.
“We see kids whose parents are struggling to make ends meet, to put food on the table and provide warm clothing and
shoes for their children.
“Many of these kids living in poverty have parents working several jobs and yet they still struggle to provide the basic
necessities for their children to have a fair chance at education.”
“Poverty is a significant factor in terms of educational underachievement and many of the children who make up the
so-called “tail” in our schools are those who are from poor and struggling backgrounds.
“Not only is inequality growing but also the number of children living in poverty is rising.
Our poverty level is a national disgrace and will have a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of children in the
long term.”
“If the Government is serious about raising student achievement it should be targeting resources at these children and
working on policies outside of schools to ensure that people who are working have a decent living wage.”
NZEI backs the call of many other health and education organisations calling for better health care, housing and
education funding for children in families with low incomes.”
Policies such as better access to affordable early childhood education, providing free healthy food to children at
schools and the adoption of a decent living wage are also among measures the Government could adopt immediately.
“It is not fair that children of the poor are paying the biggest cost of the Government’s economic and social agenda.”
ENDS