Concerns over students again dropping out of school to support families

School principals have raised concerns that students are again dropping out of school to support their families amid rising costs.

In 2020 after the first nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, schools, particularly in low socio-economic areas, reported students leaving their education behind and taking up jobs to help out financially at home.

Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said he's concerned about the situation at the moment.

He worries that rising costs linked to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine are making matters worse for struggling families.

"Inflation and the cost of goods are making things harder for students and their families.

"If there was a choice, students would stay in school, but there are those who don't have that luxury."

He said dropping out of school for financial reasons isn't new, but it has been particularly evident over the past couple of years since Covid emerged.

Couillault, who is also the principal of South Auckland's Papatoetoe High School, said school leaders do their best to support students, whatever their decision.

"We are doing everything we can to either support students to get what they need before leaving, or help them reintegrate into school if they've done six months of work and realise they can now come back to education."

Couillault said at this stage it was too hard to determine how many students have left because of the cost of living crisis and Omicron outbreak.

But he said he hoped it would be lower because of the support put in place for students and staff after the 2020 exodus.

"We are in a better position now to deal with the situation, but what's happening feels similar to what occurred following the 2020 lockdown."

And it seems the situation isn't confined to schools in Auckland.

Robin Sutton is the principal of Hornby High School in Christchurch, which is a decile 3H.

He said a small number of students are working long hours or looking to leave school to support whānau.

Sutton said while the problem isn't as significant as it was after the first nationwide lockdown in 2020, it continues to be a real concern for him.

"This is a fundamental issue of poverty. Until we do something about the hideous gap between the rich and the poor, this is always going to happen.

"There will also always be individual cases of this happening, you walk into almost any school and you'll find these cases, unfortunately."

Sutton said more needed to be done to help keep students in school when they face financial hardship.