The spiralling cost of essential school items is putting huge pressure on low-income families, with new figures showing most parents are struggling to cope.

For Victoria*, a mother of six, buying shoes was always the most expensive part of getting her children ready for school.

The mother from Wagga Wagga said her five energetic boys tore through the soles of their shoes within weeks because they were constantly on the move.

"They were forever kicking balls, running around, just being boys," she said. "And they grow out of everything so much faster than girls."

She said the support from a children's education charity, The Smith Family, was her lifeline through her toughest years

"It was incredibly hard in the early days when I wasn't working," she said.

She has noticed that education

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