Chinese families struggle to cover rising school holiday costs

Chinese families in Auckland are feeling the strain of rising school holiday expenses on their end-of-year budgets.

Covering a summer break that extends five or six weeks is an exercise in planning if both parents are working and lack the support of an extended family to care for the children.

School holiday programmes such as day-long workshops and excursions, or overnight camps quickly become the only solution for parents who are in desperate need of support.

Jeremy Li, an Auckland father with two young sons at Remuera Primary School, said the rising cost of summer holiday programmes had put pressure on his family’s finances.

For both children, expenses can exceed $3000 – nearly as much as one parent’s monthly salary after tax.

“The cost of school holiday programmes is very high,” Li said. “Prices for holiday classes have jumped from $40-$50 a day to as much as $80-$90 a day.

“For a working-class family like us, the cost is unreasonable. We’re basically spending one person’s entire monthly salary on it.”

Li said the cost of putting his children in school holiday programmes was almost the same as a return airfare to China.

He sent his two sons to China for the summer holidays last year after his parents offered to look after them during the break.

Li also made a significant career move last year, leaving a full-time job to become a freelancer, a decision he said allowed him to focus more on his children’s well-being and education while cutting household expenses.

“I felt that most of what I earned was going towards after-school classes,” Li said. “So I decided to work from home, take care of my children and save significantly on holiday and after-school programmes.”

Serena Wei’s daughters participate in a free school holiday programme at their local community library.
Photo: Supplied

Serena Wei, an Auckland mother of two, has experienced similar challenges trying to balance work and family during the school holidays.

Last year, she secured a job that allowed her to work from home, enabling her to better care for her two daughters.

Wei said expensive school holiday programmes were the only option for her family in the past, as her husband worked in Australia and her previous job did not offer the flexibility to work remote.

“Two years ago, school holiday programmes cost me $500 per child each week,” she said. “For two children, that added up to around $1000 each week.”

Since transitioning to a work-from-home job, Wei said school holidays had become more manageable.

To save money, she now took her daughters to affordable or free activities, including trips to the local library, Auckland Art Gallery and public swimming pools.

Sharon Chen, a full-time mother on Auckland’s North Shore, has a seven-year-old daughter attending Takapuna Primary School.

While Chen avoided enrolling her daughter in costly school holiday programmes, the summer break still came with significant expenses that put a strain on her budget.

“The main expense is food,” she said. “A meal with drinks and ice cream can cost around $30 to $50 for both of us.”

Sharon Chen said she always packed lunches for outings with her daughter and sought out free or low-cost activities offered by shopping malls and local businesses to manage expenses.

“Most activities are free,” Chen said. “Some require booking in advance, while others welcome walk-ins. They include balloon twisting, face painting, and making pizzas, cupcakes, and cookies.”

Students participate in a school holiday programme at the Allan Brewster Leisure Centre in Auckland.
Photo: Supplied / Auckland Council

Felix Xu, a registered early childhood educator in Auckland, has a 12-year-old son attending Takapuna Intermediate School.

Xu said his family was keeping summer holiday costs manageable this year by using their annual leave to stay home with their son.

They planned to visit libraries and public swimming pools to spend quality time together while keeping expenses low.

Xu said a “huddle to care” practice had become increasingly common in the Chinese community. Such arrangements allowed families to take turns looking after each other’s children during school holidays.

“We have two or three families who get along well and take turns caring for each other’s children,” Xu said. “Each time, one parent takes all the children to low-cost locations such as museums, libraries, beaches, swimming pools and parks.

“This way, we support one another, the children enjoy good company and it’s an effective way to address child-care challenges during school holidays.

Xu also recommended school holiday programmes and activities organized by churches, noting that they are often significantly more affordable than other options.

An Auckland Council spokesperson said the council provided a wide range of fun, free and family-friendly holiday entertainment and activities every summer, along with affordable holiday programmes across the region.

“These activities take place at multiple locations and neighborhoods within our network of libraries, pools, parks, holiday parks, Auckland Zoo and playgrounds,” the spokesperson said. “Children in every community have the opportunity to take part in.”

Eligible parents could also apply for an Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) subsidy to help reduce expenses.

The subsidy provided financial assistance to families, covering up to 20 hours a week for before and after school care and up to 50 hours a week for school holiday programmes.

Affordable school holiday activities and events in Auckland