Money problems at home affecting 1 in 3 children's school performance

Many children in the Netherlands have money problems at home, and that is reflected in their school performance. A third of the children in group 5 perform worse at school due to stress about the financial situation at home, according to the Inequality in the Netherlands study by the Youth Education Fund and ABN Amro.

According to the researchers, 32 percent of children live in stressful family situations. 38 percent’s families have to cut back on basic necessities because they can’t afford everything. 28 percent of families can’t always afford the voluntary parent contribution to schools.

“Everyone notices that groceries are becoming more expensive. But if you don’t have that much and have many fixed costs, tensions arise in the family, and the child feels that” Hans Spekman, director of the Youth Education Fund, told NOS. “One in three children living with stress is a huge amount.”

It is important to remember that these kids are often in class together, Spekman said. “Every child is different. One becomes quiet, and the other can sometimes explode because of the tension. This is at the expense of class time, meaning many children cannot use their talents.” Children who struggle to learn achieve a lower CITO score. “A lower CITO score often means a job that earns less.”

And that is even without the social consequences, Spekman said. “These children can feel left out. They relax less, they do fewer sports, and they don’t have books at home. They feel that.”

Society can help with some of these factors, Spekman told the broadcaster. “We don’t have to let this exist. We can reduce the stress factors for parents at home and reinforce the positive things: that schools can go to the museum more often and that children can join a sports club.”

The Youth Education Fund funds many school trips to museums and is working with the Youth Fund for Sports & Culture to offer more sports and music opportunities for kids free of charge. A healthy meal at school also helps. The Ministry of Education made 100 million euros available for food support for around 300,000 school kids this year.