514 schools participated in the study. 5th grade teachers completed a survey. It showed that three in ten children have to deal with a stressful home situation. It often concerns financial problems. Six percent of them do not have their own bed, while almost a quarter do not have enough breakfast before school. Children can therefore go to school tired and stressed.
“If there is not enough money at home for these things, it is only logical that children often come to school busy, sad or rebellious,” says Hans Spekman, director of the Youth Education Fund. “This causes unrest in the classroom, meaning that lessons cannot start immediately.”
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And according to calculations by SEO Economic Research – commissioned by the Youth Education Fund and the ABN AMRO Foundation – this means that up to 30 minutes of teaching time is lost per day. This amounts to almost a month of missed effective teaching time per school year.
‘Worse school performance’
“Less teaching time leads to poorer school performance, which in turn has negative effects on the later income of these students,” Spekman continues.
More and more schools are calling on the Youth Education Fund when a problem arises at home due to a lack of money. For example, for glasses, because a child cannot see the board properly. Or for a bed, because a child sleeps on a thin mattress on the floor.
Additional investments in education
The foundation therefore believes that politicians should invest in education, starting with bridge officials.
“They make the connection between school and home and this creates a bond of trust,” says Spekman. “It ensures that students and families receive the right help more quickly. This returns peace to the classroom, the teacher can focus on teaching and the children can get back to learning. But not all schools yet work with a bridge officer, or that person is not a permanent part of the team. To do their job well, the bridge officers need sufficient hours.”
Hans Spekman: ‘Children can come to school busy, sad and rebellious’ © ANP / HH
The Youth Education Fund also notes that there is a teacher shortage in schools where the majority of children grow up in poverty. “Teachers at these schools face additional challenges. They therefore earn a higher salary, apart from a temporary labor market allowance. Teachers must also be given the space and confidence to do their work well.”
Parental contribution
In addition, some schools receive little money through the voluntary parental contribution, because parents cannot afford it. School excursions are paid from this parental contribution.
Spekman: “This creates a huge contrast with schools that do have ample financial options through parental contributions. These children already leave the neighborhood more often, with school and the family. Therefore, ensure that schools that receive less parental contributions receive sufficient money so that these children can also expand their world.”