Dozens of students sleep rough in Lower Hutt

On a windy Wellington night on September 17, 95 boys spent the night outside, with a goal of gaining a glimpse of what life is like for those who are forced to face the elements each night.

The students had a normal school day before the event began at 5pm with icebreakers and a shared dinner of hot dogs provided by the school. When it looked like there might not be enough buns for every boy to have two, head of religious education Patricia Haley reminded the students of the lesson at hand.

“This is where empathy begins. This is where you start thinking about others,” she said.

The school courtyard became a patchwork of cardboard, tape and blankets as the students prepared to spend the night there.

The rough sleeping tradition at St Bernard’s was started in 2016 by deputy principal Jonny Boon as part of the religious studies justice and peace curriculum.

“At that three o’clock point at night, when it’s truly awful, you have to have that mind shift, that actually I get to go home tomorrow, and I’ve got a bed to sleep in. That sense of gratitude helps us understand the person we might see out in the community who [has] it tough,” Mr Boon said.

This year’s event came as Wellington recorded a 24 per cent surge in rough sleepers over a year, and more people are sleeping in cars along the Petone foreshore.

St Bernard’s principal Simon Stack, who has joined a few of the rough sleeping nights himself over the years, said the night was as much about perspective as it was about challenge.

“It starts out being reasonably fun, but then the early morning hits. Suddenly, it’s cold, wet and the bloke next to you is snoring,” he said.

For the boys, the key difference is choice. They know they will go home to a warm bed the next day.

“The real importance is helping these young people grow into adults who understand the world,” Mr Stack said.

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Cardboard cities and compassion: Students take on a night of rough sleeping (The Post – subscription required)