Parents Struggling to Pay for School Lunches, Equipment: Charity

Education stakeholders in Australia have warned a Senate Committee looking into the effect of high inflation on consumers, that schoolchildren may go without lunches as parents struggle to cope with increased financial burdens brought on by the cost of living crisis. Inflationary pressures have put a squeeze on household budgets, and as children return to school post-Christmas, more money is needed to furnish them with essential learning tools like iPads, laptops, and textbooks. A recent survey of over 2,200 families by Australian children’s charity The Smith Family, which helps young people living at a disadvantage, makes grim reading after 88.3 percent of respondents said they have concerns about whether they can afford to pay for digital devices....