When Jahmel is given homework, he has two options: stay late at school, or go to a local library.
All of his year 8 classwork is online. But Brisbane-based Jahmel doesn’t have a laptop at home and the school doesn’t allow him to complete homework with a pen and paper.
Jahmel’s mother, Faaetete, who requested to withhold her surname to maintain her privacy, says keeping on top of school costs has become a luxury not all can afford.
“It’s very hard to keep up,” the mother of three says. “The cost of living is getting so high and prices keep changing – going up and up every month.
“Schools should be providing laptop for kids – not just me – a lot of people in my community are struggling to afford it.”
The Futurity Investment Group’s education snapshot for 2024, released on Wednesday, suggests families in Brisbane will spend an average of $85,177 on public school education across 13 years for a child starting school this year.
Nationally, the average cost of a government education in major cities is $92,710, a $5,182 increase on last year. The cost is highest in Melbourne, where families are estimated to spend $108,879 over 13 years.
School fees make up 4% of the cost for a child starting school in Australia this year. The rest is ancillary costs, including outside tuition, instruments, transport, camps and electronic devices.
It comes as research suggests nine in 10 families struggling with finances fear they won’t be able to afford back-to-school essentials as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.
The annual survey, released by the children’s education charity The Smith Family, interviewed about 2,200 families with disadvantaged children receiving support from the group.
The survey found 88% believed they wouldn’t be able to afford everything their children needed for school in 2024, including digital devices, internet access, uniforms and shoes. One in six (16%) believed their children would miss out on internet access needed for schoolwork.
The chief executive of The Smith Family, Doug Taylor, says the findings are particularly concerning as laptops and internet have become “as essential as pens and paper in the 21st-century classroom”.
“Without them, students will struggle to do their schoolwork and keep up with their peers,” he says. “Research shows that children who start school behind … are, on average, four years behind in maths and more than five years behind in reading by the time they reach year 9.”
Concern about the “digital divide” – referring to gaps in access to computers and internet – has grown as schools continue to capitalise on new technologies, including AI and tablets.
Experts say a lack of access to digital resources and technology further widens inequalities faced by disadvantaged children, particularly in regional and remote areas that lack connectivity.
According to The Smith Family, 68% of Australian children aged five to 14 living in disadvantaged communities have internet access at home, compared with 91% of students living in advantaged communities.
Taylor says the digital divide has always been there, but became more pronounced during Covid with children forced to learn from home.
“The mindset is tech is nice to have but not essential … but it really is a big deal, how can a child keep up if they can’t do homework like their peers?”
The survey also found about 45% of families couldn’t afford uniforms or shoes for school, while 40% thought their children would miss out on educational activities outside school and 32% couldn’t afford school excursions.
It was the second consecutive year more than 80% of families surveyed believed they couldn’t afford school items, and a slight increase on 2023.
Taylor says the findings reflect the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, adding that educational essentials including uniforms, books, a laptop and the internet are crucial for schooling but also make children feel like they are “part of a school”.
“The ability to take part in school excursions, sporting teams, or take music lessons … increases a child’s confidence and self-belief,” he says. “These things do create enormous barriers.”
The latest data, released by Unicef in December, found one in six Australian children were living below the poverty line, slightly higher than a decade ago.
Unicef Australia’s head of policy and advocacy, Katie Maskiell, noted the cost-of-living crisis had been “particularly devastating” for low-income families.
To Faaetete, who is unemployed and yet to receive her citizenship 15 years after arriving in Australia from Samoa, disadvantage doesn’t just seep into classrooms – it returns home with you.
She estimates school expenses for her children this year are in excess of $1,000.
The Smith Family provides her with a payment at the start of the year to help with back-to-school costs. But it comes at the same time her rent has doubled within a year.
“My son always says if we can’t afford something that’s OK, just buy what’s important,” she says. “My kids know we’re struggling. We all pray to have a roof over our head and food on the table.
“But we should have options for kids without laptops. It’s the most important thing to have in high school – everything is online.”
