School costs squeeze poorer families and exclude children

More than half of the poorest parents in Denmark say payments linked to public school are putting pressure on their household finances, a new survey has found. The costs can also leave children feeling isolated, DR reports.

Although public school is free in Denmark, families may still pay for items and activities such as sports clothes, pencil cases, class trips and birthday presents. In the survey, 54 percent of the poorest parents said these expenses strained their finances.

Epinion conducted the survey for the Egmont Foundation Secretariat in collaboration with School and Parents, Save the Children, Mødrehjælpen, the Danish School Students’ Association and Odense Municipality. Twenty-six organisations have joined in calling for an end to out-of-pocket costs and equal conditions for children regardless of their parents’ income.

Marianne Justesen, head of Seden School in Odense, said some children miss activities because their families cannot afford them. Children and parents may feel ashamed to talk about the situation, she said, and those who miss out can struggle to join in conversations with classmates.

At Mødrehjælpen, an organisation that supports vulnerable families, director Ninna Thomsen said families under financial pressure may be unable to pay for a class trip to Bornholm, a birthday present or even a child’s own calculator.

Some children do not tell their parents about school activities or turn down birthday invitations because they know there is no money for a present, Thomsen said. She said children can feel embarrassed and become lonely or isolated when they are left out of activities at school and outside school hours.

Seden School has tried to make it easier for every child to take part by arranging activities that do not require payment. The school board has also encouraged parents to consider free options, such as playing rounders on a lawn, instead of a trip to the zoo.

“The family’s finances must not stand in the way of children’s participation,” Justesen said.