‘Everyday living is just so hard’: Families going into debt to pay for school uniforms

Fiona Marks has two mokopuna in her care. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

By Amy Williams of RNZ

An Auckland grandmother looking after two of her mokopuna says she went into debt with their school to pay for uniforms and fees.

Fiona Marks recently moved to secure a bigger state house, which also meant a new school and new uniforms to buy for grandchildren under her long-term care.

Then there was footwear, yet another cost.

“You’ve got to have two different sets of shoes because they are in the high school side of the kura so they need their normal school shoes but when they get dressed into their number one uniform, when they’re representing the kura whether its pōwhiri or whatever, they have to have dress shoes.”

Her grandchildren wore blazers, shirts and ties as part of their school uniform.

“It’s around $700 for one child.”

Otago University research showed secondary school uniforms could cost anywhere from $250 to about $1000.

Charities and politicians are calling on school boards to keep the price of uniforms in check.

Last year, more than 38,000 hardship payments were granted to help parents with school expenses, including uniforms, totalling $11 million.

Marks said it was hard to keep up – she needed a grant from Work and Income (Winz) to pay off debt owed to the children’s previous school.

“Last year I ended up, with the school trips, the uniforms and everything for the whole year, I ended up still owing the school around $500 at the end of the year.”

The debt parents and guardians owe schools was unknown – both the Ministry of Education and School Boards Association said they did not keep such data.

Marks receives an invalid’s benefit and two unsupported child benefits which, after household expenses, left $160 a week for food.

“Everyday living is just so hard and my grandson is coming up 15 in April, I mean, he eats like a horse so it’s just constant in the cupboard. He can have dinner then he’s back in the cupboard.”

Trophies at Marks' home. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

Her granddaughter was at high school and said her Nan did an amazing job providing for them.

She also worried about the cost of school uniforms.

She did not have the exact uniform required for Monday – and did not end up going to school.

Variety sponsors Marks’ two grandchildren and chief executive Susan Glasgow said moving to a new area could put huge pressure on families.

The charity recently helped a father to pay for his children’s third school uniform after he moved the family out of transitional housing.

“When they were moved to a third transitional house, they were moved to a third school requiring yet another uniform and they couldn’t borrow any more money from Winz so they came to us,” Glasgow said.

“He was in tears at our door asking for our help so we provided the funding for him to get a school uniform for his children.”

Variety chief executive Susan Glasgow. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

She said some families were forced to move if they were in temporary housing.

“That’s the reality of the situation, families are being moved so they require more than one school uniform. It’s really hard for many members of our community.”

This year, Variety had recorded a 16% increase in requests for help to pay for school uniforms and fees.

Glasgow said it would help if schools allowed generic school uniform basics to be bought anywhere.

“One of the things that schools might consider is this notion that they have in Britain of the uniform uniform, where a family or a child is only expected to have a maximum of three branded items.”

Variety sponsored more than 7000 children and there were 3000 on its waitlist.

Fiona Marks. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

Now in her 60s, Marks had looked after grandchildren off and on since she was in her 40s and has had custody of two for over a decade.

“I am enjoing life with my grandchildren but I should be able to be sitting in my home just relaxing, doing what I want to do without responsibilities of grandchildren, but I wouldn’t give them up for anything.”

Even so, she would like the Government to do more to support grandparents looking after their mokopuna.

- RNZ