Offering support and a listening ear

As a teacher, you cannot solve poverty. However, you can support children living in poverty by teaching them well and ensuring a safe and stimulating environment in the classroom. Many children appreciate being able to talk to an adult outside the family about their concerns. You can offer them a listening ear when they need it. Together, you can try to find solutions for everyday problems at school resulting from poverty, such as providing lunch at school.

Recognising poverty

Financial worries cause stress for parents and children. Prolonged stress has unpleasant consequences. That is why it is important to recognise poverty at an early stage. However, poverty is not always visible. Families often try to hide their situation from the outside world. Therefore, be alert to signs of poverty in your contacts with parents and pupils. The Poverty Signals Guide | Sometimes you only see poverty when you realise it explains how to recognise poverty in a child, young person or parent.

Signs in children and young people

  • Poor personal care, such as shoes that are too small or unkempt hair
  • Behavioural and developmental problems, for example with concentration
  • A quiet or withdrawn attitude, or conversely, a short temper

Signs in parents

  • Being unable to pay for a school trip or other activities
  • Being unclear about their financial situation
  • Physical or psychological problems
  • Little participation in activities at and around the school

Bear in mind that certain behaviour may also have causes other than poverty. Therefore, always talk to pupils or parents to find out what is going on.

On the page Recognising poverty and making it open to discussion, you can read more about recognising signs and how to talk about them. Or view the Guide to Dealing with Poverty in Schools.

Referring people to support

The way support for families living in poverty is organised varies from one municipality to another. Parents with financial worries can usually turn to a neighbourhood team or a special municipal help desk for support. Ask the municipality for an overview of the available support. Make sure that parents you refer are directed to the right place and know what to expect there.

Making plans with the whole school

It is important for a school to have an approach for recognising poverty and financial stress and making them open to discussion. For example, the school can provide school meals or organise free activities. This is a task for the school management, the school board and the partners working with the school.

Helping pupils living in poverty

As a teacher, you can also make things easier for pupils living in poverty:

  • Do not organise activities for which parents are asked to make a financial contribution. As a team, think consciously about the costs parents incur to celebrate Sinterklaas, Christmas or the teacher's birthday at school.
  • Give parents tips for making inexpensive treats, or celebrate something in the classroom without treats. For example, the municipal health services and JOGG in the municipality of Stichtse Vecht are calling on schools in their Those celebrating a birthday celebrate campaign to stop requiring birthday children to bring treats and instead put them in the spotlight. Stichting Jarige Job helps children from vulnerable families by providing a birthday box to celebrate a birthday at home and at school.
  • Prevent children from bringing you expensive gifts at the end of the school year. Tell parents that teachers are also happy with, for example, drawings or a song. And tell them that it is not a problem if they cannot manage it. At Scholengroep OPRON in Midden-Groningen, pupils may bring a flower from a shop, their garden or the school's picking garden instead of a gift.
  • Organise an afternoon at school to make surprises using materials from the school.
  • Set up a giveaway cupboard at school for the anonymous exchange of items. At De Regenboog primary school in Zoetermeer, they do this with clothing, personal care products, toys and PE equipment. Parents and children can bring items and take items from it.

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