Cork school principal’s plea over plight of homeless pupils

A Cork primary school principal has shared the heartbreaking impacts of homelessness and how it can bleed into school life.

Greenmount National School principal Finbarr Hurley was speaking to The Echo following publication by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) of a guide for teachers on how to support children and families who have lost their permanent home.

“As a principal, I am aware that many city schools are dealing with this issue and we have seen an increase,” said Mr Hurley.

He said the school has a home school liaison officer and a great relationship with parents.

“We usually become aware that a family is experiencing homelessness because the parents trust us enough to share,” added Mr Hurley

“Unfortunately, that is often in a moment of crisis when they have nowhere to go that evening. Homelessness services are under huge pressure at the moment, they’re just inundated. 

"We’re often the place a parent can come for the day, charge their phone, be warm, have a cup of tea, and figure out a plan for that night. We can provide the basics, phone credit or correct numbers to help them sort out that immediate issue of where they’re going to sleep that night.”

Guidelines

Mr Hurley welcomed the publishing of the guidelines by INTO, saying: “It can be very difficult for staff too. To see a child and think where are they going to sleep tonight is a horrible thought to leave school with.”

He said once the main priority of having somewhere to sleep is sorted, they look at other basic needs.

“Do they have a correct place to do homework, access to appropriate clothing or facilities to wash uniforms?

“Some of these places won’t allow cooking so parents are forced to buy food, which poses a financial burden.

“Schools have to be creative around how they can support those needs. The dignity of the family is absolutely paramount. The school staff ensure respect and confidentiality and everything is done very discreetly.”

Huge impacts

Mr Hurley said that no matter how supportive the school is, there are huge impacts on the mental wellbeing of the child.

“When a family becomes homeless, it’s impossible to hide the child from the situation at hand, which can lead to a child taking on adult worries and absorbing a lot of the upset.

“There’s no guarantee a family will stay in one place. They could have slept in several settings in a short period of time, which is very upsetting for a small child — some can find it difficult to separate from their parents in the morning because they’re worried about what’s going to happen to them during the day.

“It’s very scary for children — they might have to leave the area and move from a school they are very comfortable in and where they have friends, on top of the trauma of losing their home.”

Nurturing

Mr Hurley said a child can be more sensitive and need extra nurturing during the day.

“If the child can continue coming to a school where they feel safe, it can be the rock, the solid base for that child.

“It’s lovely to be able to say to a parent in this situation, ‘We’ve got them now, you go about your business, your child is with us, and we’ll care for them like they’re our own.’ That gives them the mental time to get their situation back on track,” he said.

Mr Hurley called for a funding stream from the Department of Education to provide art therapy or play therapy to students affected by homelessness, and a stream of revenue to support their basic needs through what he said is “a worsening issue”.

He added: “I’ve been teaching for 20 years and there’s always been some element of homelessness but it has really spiked.

“This is the highest it’s ever been and it doesn’t seem to be escalating downwards — it’s concerning because the fall-out for families and children is really quite upsetting.”