An Auckland boarding school for boys says it is well placed to assist post-COVID-19 when some people to find themselves struggling financially.
All students at Dilworth – currently 575 in total – receive a fully-funded scholarship, worth about $35,000 a year.
The costs of the school are covered by the Dilworth charitable trust, which is responsible for a range of assets including the school’s central-Auckland sites.
“It’s a time when people are potentially going to find themselves really struggling financially, not just in the immediate term, but also in the medium to long-term,” says Dilworth’s Headmaster, Dan Reddiex
“For a lot of those parents, one of the primary concerns is going to be about the quality of education that their children receive.”
“I think that’s why at this point and time, it’s really important that we’re signalling that Dilworth may be a viable option.”
Dilworth which caters to students from years five to 13, was established as part of philanthropist’s James Dilworth’s estate in 1906.
In his will, James Dilworth stipulated that the school should provide for “orphans, the sons of widows and the sons of persons of good character, of any race, and in straitened circumstances with such maintenance, education and training as to enable them to become good and useful members of society.”
Trust chairman Aaron Snodgrass is a former pupil himself.
He says the school roll has doubled since his attendance in the early 90s and the board is anticipating it will remain steady throughout the inevitable post-COVID-19 economic downturn.
“During these times, we tend to have an increase in applications. We really do encourage people to apply for their boys if they meet the criteria,” he says.
While the trust’s asset-base is solid, it is unrealistic to expect it to escape any impact from Covid-19.
However, as with the 2007/8 financial crisis, plans are in place, Snodgrass says.
The number of scholarships and current school roll will not be impacted, he says.
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