Australian families are turning to community pantries, second-hand uniform shops, and payment plans as the cost of education essentials continues to climb ahead of the new school year.
Kate Sohl, a Western Sydney mother of three, estimates she spends $400 to $500 on her children’s education over six months, covering extracurricular activities, uniforms, and school supplies. Sohl, who is on a pension, told ABC News that she is already planning how to afford a laptop for her eight-year-old daughter when she reaches high school.
“I’ve relied pretty heavily on them in the past couple of years,” Sohl said of the local school community pantry, which supplements her fortnightly grocery bill of $200 to $300. “They have helped keep food in my kids’ tummies and made sure that I can do healthy lunches for them with lots of fruit, veggies, and snacks.”
Widespread concerns
A recent survey by The Smith Family found more than 85% of the 1,100 low-income families surveyed were worried about meeting the cost of school essentials this year. More than half said their children would miss out on a digital device, while 51% said higher grocery, energy and rent costs had made affording school items harder.
Anton Leschen, The Smith Family’s Victoria general manager, told ABC that parents were worried about their ability to meet education costs. “These aren’t nice-to-have things for families and students. These are learning essentials,” Leschen said.
The charity supports 72,000 Australian children through learning programs, part of an estimated 750,000 children living below the poverty line.
Creative solutions
Queensland mother Laura Sheenan has decided her high school-aged daughter will work on paper rather than purchase a digital device. “As far as I know, we’re the only family that has put our foot down and said we couldn’t afford that,” Sheenan said.
At Brisbane’s Craigslea State School, the P&C-run second-hand uniform shop has seen record demand. President Joel Miller said families could buy uniforms for $5 to $10, compared with $30 to $40 new. “A lot of our uniforms come through in really good quality, so they don’t look too different to a brand-new uniform,” Miller said.
Scott Wiseman, Queensland P&Cs chief executive, said a survey found 50% of state school families were struggling to make ends meet. He encouraged families to contact schools anonymously for support with food, uniforms, and digital devices.
“You can do it anonymously to the principal or the school leadership and just say we’re struggling a little bit,” Wiseman said.