Thousands of school children in Wyndham could miss out on camps and excursions if the state government proceeds with plans to pay an education maintenance allowance (EMA) directly to schools.
Under a reform agreement between the state and federal governments, the payment would be paid directly to schools from January next year, instead of being distributed to families.
The EMA provides low-income families who have children in prep with $200 to cover school expenses, while families get $150 for each child in grades 1-6.
Parents of year 7 students receive $300 and those with children in year 8 are paid $250.
The Victorian Council of Social Service said the changes would affect 200,000 children across Victoria, including more than 35,000 in the western metropolitan region.
The organisation said many of the families affected live in growth areas, such as Wyndham, where requests for financial help to cover school costs were already skyrocketing.
VCOSS has partnered with other support agencies, parents and schools groups to form the Education Equity Coalition, which is calling on the government to scrap the plans.
VCOSS chief executive Emma King said many students from low-income families would be unable to genuinely participate
in school.
She said families traditionally signed over the allowance to schools to pay for book lists, uniforms, camps and excursions.
“Life is hard enough already for these families. The EMA makes life easier,’’ Ms
King said.
‘‘It gives people dignity. They know that they can go to get their book list at the start of the year and it is paid for.
“[Under the changes] there is no commitment that there will be targeted support for children who are currently getting the EMA. If it goes to schools, there is no guarantee where it will be spent.”
Ms King said some schools had raised fears about the changes, saying they didn’t want to see children getting left behind.
The equity coalition predicts the changes would increase pressure on welfare organisations, with groups such as Anglicare expecting a massive spike in requests for help.
“We need both major parties to commit to reinstating the EMA in some shape or form,’’ Ms King said.
‘‘We need to keep the targeted support for the families who need it.”
The Education Department said no child would be worse off under the changes.
It said funding would be increased and delivered directly to schools, to provide those with the most vulnerable students the funding they need.
