Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, so it’s almost unfathomable to think that one in six children are growing up in poverty.
The Smith Family supports more than 67,000 students but has bold expansion plans over the coming years amid critical need across Australia. The Smith Family
Cost of living pressures have only added to the burden on families who were already struggling to pay for food, fuel and housing expenses. Getting to school with all the essentials can be a challenge when there’s not enough money to put food on the table, let alone petrol in the car.
Across the country, families are having to make impossible decisions about where to spend their limited dollars. This is particularly stressful during back-to-school time, with expensive items like laptops or tablets now essential for students.
But in these cases, the right support at the right time can change the course of a young person’s life for the better. Improved learning support is one way to help break this cycle.
Reaching your full potential
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Finishing year 12 becomes a struggle if your family isn’t doing well financially, with only 73 per cent of public school students completing year 12 in 2023. This means that career pathways into well-paying jobs are hard to find, with nine out of 10 future jobs requiring higher education qualifications.
Research from The Smith Family shows that responding to early warning signs and providing personalised support for young people experiencing disadvantage can help more students finish year 12 and have a better chance of going onto a job or further study.
“Children in low-income households often miss out on things that young people themselves consider essential, such as suitable uniforms for school, a computer or mobile device, internet at home, extra-curricular activities and school excursions,” CEO of The Smith Family Doug Taylor says.
Doug Taylor, CEO of The Smith Family. The Smith Family
“We know that education has the potential to shape our career prospects, health and wellbeing, and ability to earn a living.”
Counting the cost
The socio-economic status of the household in which a child grows up has a significant influence on that child’s ability to make the most of their education, according to lead Australian economist, Saul Eslake.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal that 82.7 per cent of people with a bachelor’s degree (and 86.2 per cent of people with a post graduate degree) had a job in May 2024, compared with only 58.8 per cent of those without any non-school qualification.
“Put differently, someone without any [post-school] qualification is almost two and a half times more likely not to have a job than someone with a bachelor’s degree, while someone who left school before completing year 10 is almost four times more likely not to have a job than someone with a bachelor’s degree,” Eslake says.
“The more education you have, the more you’re likely to get paid for whatever job you have.
“So, all else being equal, a child’s ability to reach the highest level of education he or she is potentially capable of attaining, has a big impact on his or her likelihood of getting a job, and of getting a full time rather than part time job, and on how much she or he is going to get paid for doing it,” he says.
Filling the void
The Smith Family supports more than 67,000 students but has bold expansion plans over the coming years amid critical need across Australia. A number of State governments are working with The Smith Family’s frontline workers to share access to attendance data, and numeracy and literacy grades, through real-time Education Dashboards, as part of a push to improve early intervention when problems arise.
The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program provides financial assistance for core education-related expenses, including books, digital devices and uniforms. There’s also access to a range of evidence-based out-of-school learning support and mentoring programs, including literacy and numeracy, career and post-school pathways, as well as digital and financial literacy initiatives for parents and carers.
Taylor explains that students can start on the program in their first year of primary school and continue right through to the completion of tertiary education. Referrals to the program are made through partnerships with 784 schools in communities across Australia where The Smith Family works.
“Education is one of the most powerful change agents. Learning for Life gives a young person experiencing disadvantage the essentials like a school uniform, bag, schoolbooks and shoes needed to support every child’s education. For a child experiencing disadvantage, it can make a world of difference to their school day, boosting their confidence and motivation inside the school gate,” Taylor says.
Sponsor an Australian child with The Smith Family today, so they have the extra support they need to make the most of their education and break the cycle of disadvantage. Visit https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/sponsor-a-child to learn more.
