1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,599 Speaker 1: Schools are starting up for the new year from this week, 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: but there's a warning thousands of students will start the 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: year without the essentials. Kids Can has done a survey 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: with more than two hundred schools with feedback from teachers 5 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: showing that kids are showing up without shoes and jerseys 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: because families struggle with the costs, and there's concern that 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: many just won't turn up at all because of the embarrassment. 8 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: Kids Can CEO Julie Chapman joins me. Now, morning Julie, 9 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: Good morning Roman. What's the situation like this year? How 10 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: many schools have been applying for the help they need? 11 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 2: Oh, look, we've got seventy schools on our waiting list 12 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 2: right now. Twenty have applied to us since the middle 13 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: of last year, and we're already supporting children in more 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 2: than one thousand, one one hundred schools and early childhood 15 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: centers across New Zealand. So it's a pretty bleak picture 16 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: as kids head back to school for family who just 17 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: don't have enough money to provide those essentials. 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're not even into the cold part of 19 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: the year yet. How does this compare to previous years? 20 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? I was you know, I was just thinking about 21 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 2: that while I was waiting to come on, and it 22 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 2: seems to be, you know, something that is talked about 23 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 2: every single year, and it's certainly something that kids can 24 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 2: has been tackling for the past twenty years, and it 25 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,479 Speaker 2: doesn't really seem to get any better. And I think 26 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: you know, cost of living, food prices, you know, all 27 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 2: of those things really exacerbate it. And so for us, 28 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 2: you know, we're all about education equals opportunity, and so, 29 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 2: you know, really trying to do as much as we can, 30 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 2: but the problem is huge. 31 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: It's hard enough getting kids to go to school, apparently 32 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: because of the pandemic and the ongoing effect of that. 33 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: How does this though, affect school attendance? 34 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: It does affect school of tea. A lot of you know, 35 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 2: families with children who they kind of for the essentials 36 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 2: for feel a lot of shame. You know, they are 37 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 2: good people, They're not wasting their money. They just simply 38 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 2: don't have enough every week to be able to do 39 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: those extra things. You know, at this time of the year, 40 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 2: we know that a lot of teachers and can schools 41 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 2: tell us that kids are wearing you know, the jackets 42 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 2: we provide in the height of summer because it's the 43 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 2: only part of the uniform they have. There's kids coming 44 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 2: with empty food packets even to try and show that 45 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: they have had something when they may not have. So, 46 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 2: you know, for us, our goal for this appeal is 47 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,399 Speaker 2: to get a thousand kids sponsored so that they can 48 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: take advantage of their education that that is offered to 49 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: all of us. 50 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: You've mentioned food, the jerseys, the shoes, what other things. 51 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: What are the aspects of influencing whether they turn up 52 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: or do well at school. 53 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's stationary, it's having enough food at home 54 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 2: before they even get there. It's in sport, it's all 55 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 2: of those things. And so what we provide is the clothing, 56 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 2: the shoes, the food, which gives that little bit of 57 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 2: families just to provide those essentials that hopefully make it 58 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 2: a bit easier for parents and kids to get to school. 59 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: It really about making sure that they have that social 60 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: inclusion at school starts day one. Any day that's missed 61 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: of school is going to have an impact on our 62 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: child's learning. 63 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, and Julie, thank you so much. Julie Chapman 64 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: as the CEO of Kids Can looking for more help there, 65 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: just get in touch with them. If you've got some 66 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: deep pockets and you'd like to contribute, I'm sure they 67 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: could do with the help. For more from Early Edition 68 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: with Ryan Bridge, Listen live to news talks they'd be 69 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: from Fun weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.