The Back-to-School Struggle No One Talks About
Bex Wilson, Zarach Founder
Settling Into a New Normal
September is done. Soon we’ll hopefully be replacing September’s nervous anticipation and routine setting with settling in to a new normal.
For some families, this season isn’t just about new uniforms and school supplies. It’s about survival, resilience, and navigating the incredibly tough realities that come with not just poverty, but the many systemic barriers that perpetuate it.
A Real Life Back-to-School Struggle
Here’s a real life back to school story from this year that, sadly, echoes many that we see at Zarach. It’s about a hardworking family, struggling to make ends meet, who faced a series of life-changing events in the blink of an eye.
A working family with four children, two of which have significant special educational needs, thought they had a great new beginning on the horizon when they heard they’d got a new house. The family had been squeezed into living in a two-bedroom house, bidding every week on local authority houses with no luck for years. They were overjoyed to have been allocated a 3 bedroom house. The sacrifice being it was at the other side of the city.
The sheer cost of moving, the stress of transferring schools (especially for their boys with special needs), and the logistics of getting everyone settled into their new home stretched their resources to the breaking point. Because they didn’t have the luxury of time to sort school placements properly, they ended up scrambling to find a solution, spending what little money they had left on taxis to get the kids to school.
In the chaos of the move, the family still found themselves all sharing two beds. The children, all under one roof, sleeping as best they could in the cramped space. You could see the weight of it all in the way mum spoke. As she poured her heart out on the school playground, the strain was clear.
The Impact of Poverty on Education
There’s a strong academic consensus that the most accurate indicator of educational outcomes isn’t the child’s intelligence or potential. It’s household wealth. The Institute for Fiscal Studies research shows that children from families with fewer resources are far less likely to reach their academic potential.
This is exactly why Zarach exists. It’s our mission to ensure that families don’t have to fight this battle alone. We can help alleviate some of that burden. By providing beds we allow parents to use what funds they do have available to ensure they keep their lights on, homes warm and food on the table. We are here to support families in their darkest moments.
“We don’t just provide beds we offer hope that things can and will get better.”
Every Family Has a Story
It’s easy to forget, but every family has a story. Behind the stress and exhaustion is a mum and dad who love their kids more than anything in the world and are doing everything they can to make life better. At Zarach we get to be the lifeline that makes that possible.
As back-to-school season closes, let’s remember that no child should have to face the educational journey alone, especially not because of their parents’ financial circumstances. We’re here to help, and together, we can make a difference.
