Schools desperate for retirees class struggle

Andrew Mathieson
Increasing pressures on mums to help cover family living costs has contributed to a shortage of volunteers in Geelong region schools, according to a national support program.
Timehelp founder and national manager Lisa Kingman said at least four Corio and Norlane schools were unable to find a single volunteer for Timehelp’s program of recruiting retirees to share their life skills with students.
Ms Kingman said the program had grown from just six senior volunteers at four schools in 2005 to 45 at 16 but could no longer meet demand.
“They’re telling us there’s a dwindling supply of parents as volunteers,” Ms Kingman said.
“We have pressures on families where they are both working. Nowadays we also have broken families and more single-parent families.
“They say societal pressures mean there are less parents in the classroom helping out.”
Ms Kingman said Timehelp, Australia’s first inter-generational volunteer program, matched residents with nearby schools to help in literacy, numeracy and “odd jobs”.
“Pretty much all” schools had put in weekly requests for more volunteers but Geelong’s most northern suburb was faring worst for recruits, she said.
“We just don’t get a lot of retirees from that area ringing us, so I’m not sure what is the answer.
“I just wonder whether it’s a younger suburb or are there just not that many retirees living in the area.”
Ms Kingman said the shortage extended to Geelong’s southern suburbs.
Oberon South Primary School had welcomed two volunteers but desperately needed more support, she said.
Volunteers worked in classrooms or the school’s “food forest”.
Oberon South principal Jenny Lander said the “older faces” were vital to help her school cover the volunteer shortfall.
“Funding for schools probably doesn’t cover what we would like to do,” she said.
Ms Kingman said Timehelp would run an information at City of Greater Geelong’s aged services offices, 103 Corio Street, from 10am on Tuesday.