Breaking the cycle of disadvantage through education
It's easy to fall through the cracks
Changes in family structure, the workplace, and across society at large are impacting negatively on children's wellbeing. Tougher financial times are seeing a growing number of families falling between the cracks and increased hardship for those already struggling.
Sadly, 680,000 Australian children are living in disadvantage1 and do not have access to the same educational, health or life opportunities that many of us enjoy and often take for granted.
Without support, the disadvantage they experience today is likely to continue into adulthood - and on to the next generation..
Breaking the cycle of disadvantage
Research shows supporting children's education and learning is one of the most effective means of breaking the cycle of disadvantage:
- Every year of schooling increases individual wages for both men and women by a worldwide average of about 10%, while also increasing the broader productivity of a nation such as Australia by up to 6%.2
- Poverty rates amongst those aged 15 years and over in Australia decline sharply as educational qualifications increase.3
- Young people not participating in education between 16 and 18 are more likely to experience depression and poor physical health by the age of 21.4
- A supportive family environment for children, especially in the earliest weeks and months after they are born, greatly increases their chances for better learning outcomes and more successful transitions from home to school.5
That's why today we focus on providing continuous support to span a child's early years, onto their school years, and right through to their transition to work or further study.
Where The Smith Family comes in.
At The Smith Family, we liken our role to that of a bridge - linking disadvantaged children with opportunities, services and supports and connecting them with those Australians who have the capacity, skills and resources to help.
The Smith Family's education and learning programs are informed by research and made possible through our network of strong partnerships with other organisations and individuals working towards our vision of a more caring and cohesive Australia. Our programs support not only children but also their families and communities, who provide the crucial nurturing relationships and supportive learning environments a child needs, particularly during their important first five years of life.
More than 27,000 disadvantaged children and young people are accessing our comprehensive Learning for Life programs, which span a disadvantaged child's early years through the vulnerable transition points in their development, such as moving from home to primary school and from school to further study or workforce entry.
At every step along the way, our nationwide network of Learning for Life workers support these children, linking them with emergent literacy and numeracy programs in their early years, and as they grow up, with comprehension, digital, financial, health and emotional literacy programs, so that children can develop the skills and capacities they need for their journey through life. We enable these literacies through mentoring and tutoring opportunities, and through a financial scholarship, which assists with the costs of essential school expenses such as uniforms, books and excursions.
At the same time, parents have access to The Smith Family's ever-expanding set of resources, which include parenting education and skills development opportunities to help them raise their children and participate more fully in society themselves.
Help us break the cycle of disadvantage. Find out how you can help here
References
1 ABS data available on request. Survey of Income and Housing 2005-06.
2 OECD (2003) cited in Business Council of Australia (2007) Restoring our Edge in Education: Making Australia's Education System its Next Competitive Advantage.
3 Senate Community Affairs References Committee (2004) Report on Poverty and Hardship.
4 UK Department for Education and Skills Raising expectations Green Paper March 2007.
5 Jack Shonkoff and Deborah Phillips From Neurons to Neighbourhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development 2000.
