More than a quarter of Australian parents are having difficulty affording an internet connection in their home, as they prepare to send their children back to school.
A survey by national child protection organisation Act for Kids found almost one in three Australians were struggling to pay for their children’s basic educational needs.
Act for Kids CEO Katrina Lines said school uniforms and access to home internet were just some of the essentials children faced going without as cost-of-living pressures add an extra layer of stress to back-to-school preparations, which are set to generate $2.7 billion in sales.
Ms Lines said the survey found 27 percent of parents were having difficulty affording internet at home and 30 percent were struggling to pay for uniforms, stationery, books, excursions and school fees.
She said 40 percent said they were battling to pay for extracurricular activities important to their child’s social and physical wellbeing, such as sport, music and hobbies.
“It is common for children to experience some form of anxiety about heading back to the classroom as this often involves change, whether that be a new school, teacher or meeting new classmates.
“It can be quite distressing if, on top of this, they are worried about not having the right uniform or whether they will have the materials to complete school work including homework.”
Ms Lines said it a family was facing these challenges, they needed to share the burden by seeking help from the child’s school, community organisations and government support services.
