Sam Saega is a Year 13 student at Papakura High School in Auckland.
He also has a casual contract at a Woolworths supermarket, where he works about 20 hours a week, depending on how much work is available.
His motivation for working is to support his dad, who works as an Uber driver and also has a roadside stall selling lamb buns.
"The normal time he goes to work is five in the afternoon. Then comes around three-four in the morning. Then he goes straight on to his lamb bun business," he said.
"I'm just trying to help him out because everyday he's just so tired and stressful."
With the high cost of living and fuel prices, he said it is tough for their family of 11.
"We have limits at home, with the water and stuff, also with the power. Because my dad is really struggling to pay off all of that."
They are also saving up to go back to Samoa for a family reunion at the end of this year.
"Very exciting. Haven't been back in the islands for a long time."
Impact on learning
A 2024 Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) report noted that working more than 16 to 20 hours a week could impact negatively students' learning.
The report estimated as many as 15,000 teenagers were working 20-50 hours a week, but emphasised that better data was needed to understand the problem.
Auckland Action Against Poverty spokesperson Agnes Magele fears the effects of that could include teenagers getting stuck in low-paying jobs, which could hold them back from reaching their full potential.
"Our kids always have dreams of becoming something bigger and better, like becoming a lawyer, becoming a doctor," Ms Magele said.
She said working long hours at school can mean that "they're never going to get beyond what they're going to be doing already, like working in factories."
It had long been an issue for children from low-income families, but Ms Magele believes it is becoming more common because of cost of living pressures.
She said the government needs to do more to support low-income families, so teenagers don't have to help out.
"What they need to do as well is offer more community support for community organisations that are actually working with whānau and supporting them while they're struggling."
Educator concerns
Lesieli Samiu, the Pacific liaison for Papakura High School, estimated that about 40% of the school's Year 12 and 13 students are working part-time jobs to help their family.
"The impact of that on their education is huge. Their attendance, their focus, their energy and I guess wellbeing as well," he said.
The Ministry of Education said it did not collect data on students' working hours outside of school, but was not seeing evidence that it was a widespread or systemic issue.
There were clear legal protections to ensure young people attended school and prioritised education.
Meanwhile, Sam Saega said some of his friends had already had to drop out of school to help their families pay the bills.
However, his hope is to break the cycle of low-paid work, by studying construction or engineering at university.
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz |  |
