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Australia's poverty trap: Children who most need education support are missing out

03 June 2019

The Smith Family launches 2019 Winter Appeal to raise $4m for Australian children in need

With one in six young Australians[1] living below the poverty line, the children who most need extra support to thrive at school are the ones most likely to miss out, The Smith Family said today.

Launching its 2019 Winter Appeal, the children’s education charity aims to raise over $4 million by 30 June to deliver vital learning and mentoring support for more than 10,000 disadvantaged students.

The Smith Family’s CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said key international measures show Australian children from disadvantaged backgrounds are most likely to struggle at school.

Reports by the Australian Council for Educational Research[2] confirm the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, at age 15, is equivalent to around three years of schooling. Students experiencing disadvantage report lower levels of motivation to learn and achieve than their more advantaged peers.[3]

“These reports highlight the significant education gap we have here in Australia between students who are growing up in our wealthiest and poorest households,” said Dr O’Brien.

“Sadly the kids who most need the extra support to keep up at school are from families who can least afford it or who may not have the skills or confidence to support their children’s learning. The further behind they fall, the more likely they are to disengage altogether.

“Our evidence-based programs encourage these children to stay in school and make the most of their education, so they have the best opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. It’s not just about helping them lift their academic performance but giving them the confidence to believe in themselves and the motivation to strive for a better future.”

Last year The Smith Family reached more than 143,000 disadvantaged young Australians with programs ranging from reading support to homework clubs to career mentoring. These programs help young people to build skills, knowledge, motivation and self-belief, along with a critical network of positive relationships with parents, peers, educators and employers.

“That extra bit of support and encouragement can make a life-changing difference,” Dr O’Brien said.

“For these young people, it can be challenging to set study or career goals or even see the value of completing Year 12. Our programs increase their likelihood of finishing school and going on to further study, which gives them a much better chance in an increasingly competitive job market. That’s positive not only for the young person themselves but our society as a whole.

“We’re asking the community to get behind our Winter Appeal to help more children get the best possible start in life and contribute to a better future for young Australians in need.”

To donate to The Smith Family’s Winter Appeal and support a child’s education, 
phone 1800 024 069 or visit thesmithfamily.com.au/winter

Key stats – the effects of poverty on children’s education:

  1. 1.1 million Australian children and young people live in poverty. That’s one in six.[4]
  2. One in four children (26.2 per cent) from Australia’s most disadvantaged communities start school already behind in the key learning areas of literacy and numeracy.[5]
  3. Less than 40 per cent of disadvantaged Year 6 students are proficient in digital skills compared to 68 per cent of their more advantaged peers.[6]
Only 60 per cent of young people from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds complete Year 12, compared to around 90 per cent of those from the highest socioeconomic backgrounds.[7]


Media Enquiries: Media@thesmithfamily.com.au

[1] Davidson, P., Saunders, P., Bradbury, B. and Wong, M. (2018), Poverty in Australia, 2018. ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership Report No. 2, Sydney: ACOSS.
[2] Thomson, Sue; De Bortoli, Lisa; and Underwood, Catherine, "PISA 2015: Reporting Australia's results" (2017).
Thomson, Sue; Wernert, Nicole; O’Grady, Elizabeth; Rodrigues, Sima (March 2017). TIMSS 2015: Reporting Australia’s results. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).
[3] Underwood, Catherine, "PISA Australia in Focus Number 3: Motivation" (2018).
[4] Davidson, P., Saunders, P., Bradbury, B. and Wong, M. (2018), Poverty in Australia, 2018. ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership Report No. 2, Sydney: ACOSS.
[5] Australian Government (2019), Australian Early Development Census National Report 2018: A snapshot of early childhood development in Australia, Department of Education and Training: Canberra.
[6] Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA): (2018) National Assessment Program Sample Assessment: ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report November 2018, ACARA: Sydney.
[7] Lamb S, Jackson J, Walstab A and Huo S (2015) Educational opportunity in Australia 2015: Who succeeds and who misses out, Centre for international Research on Education Systems, Victoria University, for the Mitchell Institute: Melbourne.

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au 
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au