By Mirka Mozer, Secretary General
”Remember to transfer money to the class fund – there are still four missing.” Most parents are familiar with the collection slip hanging in the classroom and the frequent messages in the Aula. Maybe it’s 50 kroner for the annual Christmas event, 200 kroner for an excursion or a larger amount for the trip to the after-school program. The majority probably don’t think about it anymore and carefreely swipe amount after amount throughout the school year.
At Danish People's Aid, we work for and with families for whom it is often a daily struggle to cover the basic costs of everyday life. We meet parents who time and again have to say no to their children. Not because they do not want to give their children the same opportunities as others, but because the money is simply not enough. For these families, paying out-of-pocket is a source of stress and discomfort. This is confirmed by a new study from the Egmont Foundation. Here, more than half of the parents surveyed, for example, answer that paying out-of-pocket for primary school challenges their finances. And it is the children who pay the price.
All children have a constitutionally guaranteed right to free education. But free education is not the same as a free school life. In Denmark, we pride ourselves on having a primary school where all children have equal opportunities, regardless of how much money their parents earn.
We know that children from economically disadvantaged families go to great lengths to hide their family’s finances and the impact they have on their daily lives. They make excuses not to participate and avoid situations where it becomes clear that they do not have the same opportunities. It is a big responsibility to carry on small shoulders, and it is difficult to concentrate on learning if you are simultaneously spending energy worrying about money and fitting in.
The challenges are particularly evident in the process of leaving school. The costs of clothing, electronics, transport and social communities are increasing, while it is becoming even more important for young people to be part of the community. That is why we at Danish People's Aid have established the Leaving School Aid, which is initially a special helping hand for families on Lolland and Falster. Here, financially needy families can apply for financial assistance of 3,000 kroner for their children in leaving school, so that they have better opportunities to get through the last years of school well.
School leaving assistance is not just about money. It is also about giving young people the peace to learn, the courage to participate and the belief that they have a future with education and communities. And although we at Danish People's Aid are there to help, it should give rise to reflection that there is a need for an effort such as school leaving assistance at all. In a country like Denmark, we should not accept that children's participation in school communities depends on their parents' wallets. We owe that to the 48,600 children who grow up in poverty, and of whom far too many experience being outside the communities of school and leisure life.
