NORTHTEC: A study of NorthTec Social Work and Nursing students has found significant levels of financial hardship and material deprivation, results that lead researcher and Social Work Lecturer, Anthea Raven, describes as “very upsetting”.

The research was inspired by a study undertaken in 2019 by Unitec researchers, which used the DEP-17 index to measure material poverty among Auckland tertiary students.

“Observationally, I was looking at our NorthTec ākonga who had a lot of enthusiastic ideas, but were not engaging in the learning in a way that matched that enthusiasm,” Raven says. “I was also interested in the impact of the cultural demographics of Tai Tokerau/Northland on hardship.”

At the time of study, 75% of those studying the Bachelor of Social Work were Māori, as were 44% of Bachelor of Nursing students.

All students enrolled in these programmes were invited to participate in an online survey. Of the 73 who took part, all were engaged in full-time study and 64% were Māori. After the survey, the researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with five students, selected at random, to gather qualitative data.

“The findings revealed a catch 22 for students – in order to study, they had to take on part-time work,” says Raven. “The trade-off was they then didn’t have enough time or energy to commit to study. However, they wouldn’t be able to continue studying without the money they earned through their jobs.”

About two-thirds (63%) of participants were in paid employment. The largest group (24.6%) worked five to 10 hours per week, while 15% worked between 20 and 32 hours per week.

Just under half of the participants (49%) lived with a partner. There were 47% of participants who lived in a whānau or extended family group, and 16% shared a flat with others.

The participants’ average gross household income was just under $44,983 – well below the Tai Tokerau average of $84,712. The study found 38% relied on gross household incomes of $8,000 to $29,000 per year. Low incomes and relative material hardship rates were higher for Māori than non-Māori.

In addition, 57% of participants said they or their partners had dependent whānau and family members – mostly children – and 20% of these were sole parents. A third were caring for a dependent adult.

“These responsibilities created stress and difficulty – particularly around student placements, which are core components of both degrees,” says Raven. “As educators, we always try to secure ākonga placements in their own geographic locations, but you’re looking at a predominantly rural population in Northland and some people do have to travel long distances. This impacts on people’s existing employment and whānau responsibilities.”

Raven says all of the students were resilient and determined to succeed academically, but they were up against significant challenges.

“During the face-to-face interviews, some students became upset when discussing their situations,” she says. “This had a powerful impact on me – it showed the emotional impact that we don’t always see behind a student’s generally positive veneer or an appearance of coping.”

One student told Raven he lived an hour away from campus. He relied on an old car, and was able to make basic repairs to it.

“When I asked what he would do if something major went wrong with the car, he got very emotional and said he didn’t know what he would do. He didn’t want to have to give up his studies.”

The majority of participants experienced some form of material hardship and deprivation, including difficulties affording fresh produce, clothing, shoes, birthday gifts or visits to the doctor or dentist. The parents in the group said they prioritised their children’s needs over their own in these situations.

Raven says 30% would be unable to pay an unexpected large bill without going into debt. Others reported being behind on important payments – 50% had been in arrears with rates, water or electricity bills in the previous 12 months, and 56% with vehicle expenses like registration, warrant of fitness and insurance.

“One conclusion I came to was that education can make you poor,” she says. “Many of our students end up with not just student loan debt, but personal debts, too. Some of our populations have a greater burden to bear, because they had a greater burden to start with.”

She says the implications of these findings show a need for increased government support for students with additional costs due to clinical placements, and also call for a response from educational institutions.

“We need to consider ways in which demands of assessments can be amended or modified to spread the workload,” she says. “One of the changes I’ve made is to implement a lot more formative assessment, instead of pushing it all towards the end of the year. A more experiential and wānanga-style approach to learning would also be beneficial.”

The findings also illustrate just how critical pastoral care is for students.

“I’m now much quicker at bringing on student support, and connecting ākonga to financial support and hardship grants and supporting them to apply,” says Raven. “Without these efforts, I don’t think we would be able to maintain our student numbers.”

• Anthea Raven is a graduate pf Massey University with Bachelor and Master degrees in Social Work. Her research experience at the time examined sexist attitudes towards the employment of women in the hospitality industry and the exclusion of lesbians in equal opportunties policies. Since graduating, Anthea has also qualified as a Project Manager and led some key social work projects including the implementation of Family Violence Intervention at Auckland DHB and the Gender Pay Equity for social workers in the (then) Child, Youth and Family Services. She has 40+ years of experience in various social work roles including more recently working at the Ministry of Social Development on claims of historic abuse in state care. She is also an accredited mediator. Anthea has a strong interest in social work education and has made considerable contributions to the development and management of programmes. She subscribes to the view that ‘knowledge is power’ and importantly, she uses research as a strategy for student empowerment and self determination. Contact Anthea Raven
  
  
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