Boarding allowances are not enough

Rural parents have only until the end of this month to get their views in on boarding allowances and need more time to make a good decision, says Manawatu farmer Shelley Dew-hopkins.

Dew-hopkins, who farms at Rangiwahia said the biggest issue was fairness between urban and rural people and the time frame was too short for rural people to talk to each other and get information

The Ministry of Education is reviewing the allowance scheme particularly the access and multiple barriers allowances being offered by them.

Women in Farming and Federated Farmers said they wanted, through a survey of members and supporters, to provide evidence-based data to the ministry.

Dew-hopkins said she believed costs were about $15,000 a year to board at a state school.

‘‘I am passionate about this equity issue. People in rural areas should have the same rights as urban people. And we lose rural workers who are on a fixed income, because they can’t afford to send their children to boarding school.’’

She said people needed to stay in rural communities and children needed to be well educated if there was to be vibrant and thriving rural areas.

‘‘That means people have to be able to afford boarding school. I know of long time employees who couldn’t afford to send their kids to boarding school. They had to move closer to town so their children could go to a secondary school.’’

The boarding school and private boarding allowance was $3200 a year. It was available if a teenager was ‘‘too far’’ from an appropriate school, they had to travel more than an hour one way, or they had an unreasonable distance of more than 60 kilometres to a school.

Another allowance, for multiple barriers, included poor participation at school, low educational achievement and a lack of family and community support. The multiple barriers allowance has been $8000 a year.

Dew-hopkins said everyone should get $8000 which would pay for just more than half the costs of boarding.

She says the time when people must get their information in to the ministry is too short for rural people and their networks to get relevant information collated.

‘‘Rural people have no choice but to send their children to boarding schools. They should be equitable with those in urban centres. People in town take it for granted they can send their children to secondary school and as a day pupil,’’ she said.

‘‘We just want fairness. Under this current boarding allowance, a rural teenager might catch the bus at 7am, get home late and do their homework, then be up to catch the bus again early next day. It just isn’t fair.

‘‘Another excuse they [the Ministry of Education] use is we don’t have many people apply. Why? Because its not promoted, and they make it difficult with the application (online) and their gate keeping processes.’’

The survey includes questions on the value of allowances, and the eligibility.