Five Key Things to Help Children in Need Get Back to School in 2022

The Smith Family launches its 2022 Back to School Appeal, calling for extra support to help thousands of young Australians in need re-engage with their education in the wake of COVID-19.

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Thousands of Australian children will start the new school year behind, requiring additional support to catch up with their peers and recover lost learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Smith Family said today.

As the nation’s largest children's education charity launches its 2022 Back to School Appeal, The Smith Family is calling on Australians to support children in need. The children’s education charity needs to find 5,200 new sponsors for their Learning for Life program that provides vital emotional, financial and practical support, helping children to make the most of their education. And the charity says the need is greater than ever.

The Smith Family’s Chief Executive Officer, Doug Taylor is extremely worried about the persistent and significant gaps in learning between children experiencing disadvantage and their more affluent peers, which has compounded for some because of long periods of disrupted learning over the past two years.

“For the children we support, the return to school this year may be the toughest yet. We are particularly concerned about the students whose education has been significantly impacted during those critical transition years of early primary school and between primary and high school, and who’ve spent more time learning remotely than in the classroom, as they are at greater risk of disengaging with their learning.

“The Grattan Institute’s analysis of the 2021 NAPLAN results shows that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not performing as well as other students in reading and numeracy. On average, Year 9 students from a disadvantaged background are more than four years behind their advantaged peers in reading in both NSW and Victoria. This can and must be addressed through the use of evidenced-based initiatives involving students, parents, schools and community organisations,” said Mr Taylor.

The Smith Family has highlighted five key things that children and young people need to help them meet the challenges of the new school year.

1. School essentials. Children experiencing disadvantage can sometimes miss out on things that are essential for their learning, such as uniforms, books and school supplies, a computer or learning device, internet at home, and school excursions. Providing access to the tools and resources they need, helps students to fit in and keep connected to their learning. 
2. Targeted learning support. Even before the pandemic, research showed that young people experiencing disadvantage can be as much as three years behind their peers in core subjects like literacy and numeracy. When children living with disadvantage have access to additional support for their learning, it helps them to catch up and keep up at school.
3. Support and engagement from parents and carers. All parents want to help their children be the best they can be. Helping parents to gain the skills and knowledge to successfully engage in their child’s learning, will make a big difference to their child’s success at school and future employment opportunities. When parents are engaged, they can actively support their child’s learning, celebrate their progress, reinforce the value of learning and better understand their child’s educational needs.
4. Digital access. Many students across Australia sit on the wrong side of the ‘digital divide’, meaning they don’t have devices or adequate data to access the required or necessary online learning resources, which immediately puts them at a disadvantage to their classmates. The move to remote learning during COVID and its reliance on online resources, has only increased the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. We need to ensure all students have equal access to adequate data and devices.
5. Having their voices heard. Students may be feeling heightened levels of anxiety about returning to school and we need to ask and then listen to what students are telling us they need, to make this next school year a success. We need to speak to children to really understand the issues they are facing, including issues around their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Doug Taylor said, “Every child deserves the chance to learn, do well at school, and succeed in life. And every student needs strong supports to do this – at school, at home and in their communities. These five key things are the basic building blocks that every child needs to unlock the potential offered through their education. But unfortunately there are still thousands of children across Australia who do not have these essentials and we’re worried it will be those who can least afford it, who will continue to struggle the most at school in 2022.”

Andrew Pierpoint, President of the Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA), stressed that priority needs to be given to children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing in the new school year. “Increasingly, more and more children and their families rely on additional support to make ends meet. Never before has our education system and organisations like The Smith Family faced challenges like the ones that have emerged over the past two years and will continue to emerge in 2022.

“As we approach a new school year, we must focus on supporting those students who have fallen behind to help them recover lost learning. But it is also vital that we provide the mental health and emotional wellbeing support that some students need, not just to adapt post lockdown, but to thrive. As a society we must recognise this need, work together and have ready to go support in place – now.”

The Smith Family is also grateful for the significant support of its major partners like Officeworks who is helping students experiencing disadvantage to receive the extra educational support they need to make the most of their school year, thrive in their learning and reach their full potential.

For 100 years, The Smith Family has been helping children across Australia to create better futures for themselves. To sponsor a student today through The Smith Family Back to School Appeal go to thesmithfamily.com.au/sponsor-a-child.

Media Enquiries:
Dara Mulholland, Media Advisor | 0481 062 604 | dara.mulholland@thesmithfamily.com.au
Sophie Eaton, Media Advisor | 0447 571 397 | sophie.eaton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Caitlin Dickson, Media Advisor | 0466 955 633 | caitlin.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au