Back to School in Poverty

It's not all Amazon wish lists for many students

Good day, Digital Villagers.

First, I’ve got two overarching things to share with you:

1. You may notice a change in branding. For years, I’ve wanted to call this blog/Substack/channel, “The Philosophical Parent” but, for various reasons, I used other titles. However, I’ve decided to make this switch now!

   What do you think of the change?

   The differences in content will be subtle. Basically, this channel will cover similar topics but will focus on the philosophical side of parenting (obvs!).

2. Apologies for the long delay in posting. My full-time role is proving super intense as I’m producing our annual conference which occurs next week. Add to that, one kid going to uni for the first time + another trying to figure out his path in life = one busy working mom.

   How’s “back to school” going for y’all?

Now, to the topic at hand: Poverty in education.

A few weeks ago, I received a newsletter from a non-profit organization focused on poverty as it relates to students.

I’m embarrassed to admit that, even though I have a lot of experience in education, working with vulnerable populations (including children and teenagers), being a parent and step-parent, and working in social justice, I didn’t quite get the strong correlation between poverty and success in school until I read that newsletter.

Per Pathways to Education: “Although public high school education is free in Canada, research shows there are several pressing financial barriers that families face. When the bell on the first day of school rings, students can be starting the year from a very different place than their peers.” 

So, What, In Particular Stands Out?

Note that the following information is Canadian in focus.

1. School Supplies and Clothing 

Research shows that school supplies including markers, paper, backpacks, binders, calculators, etc. can cost $200-$300 per kid. That’s a big enough number that searching for coins under the couch cushions to pay for it won’t cut it.

As for clothing, as we all know, clothes and shoes are most definitely a status item and not just something that keeps kids warm, dry, or cool. It’s sad to say but your kid’s running shoes, backpack, make-up, jewellery, or hoodie can make the difference between being popular and well-liked to being ostracized.

For many parents, trying to decide whether to teach their kid a lesson about “being valued for who they are” and helping them to fit in can be a tough philosophical and economical decision.

2. Nutrition and Meal Security 

While one might think that access to nutritional meals and snacks isn’t necessarily an educational expense or need, adequate nutrition is essential for students' health and academic performance. Per info from Pathways to Education — “How well can one focus while on an empty stomach?” Indeed.

Research shows that, approximately 1.8 million children under the age of 18 were affected by food insecurity in 2022, a marked increase from the 1.4 million in 2021.

It’s heartbreaking to think that some students aren’t able to concentrate, study, perform well or even make it through the day because of hunger or inadequate nutrition.  

3. Access to Technology 

We will discuss technology from a philosophical perspective in another post. And, note that many schools in Ontario this year are banning smart phones during the school day — a move I agree with though I’m NOT a fan of keeping students off social media as a whole.

But, for the sake of this particular post: last year, I was surprised to learn that every student in my daughter’s high school had to bring in their own device (tablet or laptop) in order to participate.

I imagine that parents and students who aren’t able to make this happen are offered subsidies or access to technology through other means. But, the very fact that owning and bringing a tablet or laptop became mandatory certainly shocked me.

Like wearing trendy clothing, having the latest iPad or iPhone not only offers students crucial access to learning but is part of their social capital as well. Of course, many kids won’t be able to afford Apple products.

So, how do parents who can’t afford this very expensive technology manage? While tech prices are coming down — one can purchase a basic laptop for under $400 right now — this cost can be extremely burdensome and stressful for students and parents.

Now, I don’t know the economic make-up of readers of this channel. But, I do know that, as a middle-class working parent, trying to balance the “I want to provide my children with the best possible experience and help them fit in” with the realities of my budget and, as mentioned above, providing a lesson in what really matters — is a constant juggling act.

How do you handle all of this? Were you aware of the correlation between poverty and school on different levels? I’d love to hear your thoughts and reactions.

Until next time, Philosophical Parent — stay real.

Lisa