Last Chance U

Hey Scott,

With my ‘Barefoot family’, I am totally into your Money Movement Manifesto. I am also an assistant principal at one of the 10 lowest socio-economic community primary schools in NSW — with 96% parent unemployment. One thing I’d like to see added to the Manifesto is an action for the parent community to commit to. Teachers are awesome and are capable of facilitating behavioural change of epic proportions, but we can’t teach when their home experience of money is that it is gambled, drunk, non-existent, received only by government payment, or accessed through the pawn shop. Would you consider adding something for parent and community groups and, perhaps, local business groups or councils to also take action into your Manifesto ... then I’d gladly sign it!

Kelly

Hi Kelly,

I find it hard to believe that 96% of your parents are unemployed.

Still, I’m picking up what you’re putting down: the parents at your school are really struggling.

Well, here’s the good news.

I piloted my program — and held parent nights — in low socio-economic schools, and what I found was these parents tended to be the most committed to my cause: they’ve lived the reality of generational poverty and they want something better for their kids.

And I totally agree that kids learn first and foremost from watching their parents. That’s why my motto is ‘teach the kids, help the parents, change the nation’. And the program centres around the kids teaching their parents how to do pocket money.

Do I think it’ll work with every parent?

Obviously not.

Yet if your students’ home life is as bad as you’re saying, surely that’s even more reason to try and help them.

After all, that’s what being a teacher is about!

Scott.