Australian children experiencing disadvantage need your help this Christmas

Life has always been tough for Zack¹, even before the pandemic hit. His mum, a single parent, has a long-term illness and can only work part-time. She does everything she can to keep a roof over their heads, but she struggles to afford even the absolute necessities, like food and clothes.

At just eight years old, Zack does all he can to look after his mum and little sister. He worries about his mum’s illness and does his best to try to care for her. 

Zack already had so much to cope with – and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made everything much more difficult. 

Like many hardworking Australians, Zack’s mum lost her casual shifts at work when the pandemic struck. With money tighter than ever before, she couldn’t afford the tools Zack needed for remote learning while his school was closed earlier this year. 

Zack is one of the 1 in 6 Australian children who are living in poverty right now, through no fault of their own². 

Research shows that remote learning during the pandemic is likely to have been more detrimental for children like Zack than for their more advantaged peers. According to the 2020 Grattan Institute survey, teachers estimate that disadvantaged children learned just 25-50% of what they’d normally learn in class, compared to 50-75% for children not living in poverty³.

Unless they get the additional out-of-school support they need, children like Zack may give up on their education before completing Year 12, and lose their chance to break the cycle of poverty. 

For many, that means they could face a lifetime of disadvantage – and the risk of that happening has never been greater.

Disadvantaged students are on average 2-3 years behind in reading and maths by the time they are 15 years old⁴.

Research shows that completing Year 12 (or equivalent) increases a young person’s likelihood of continuing with further study, as well as entering the workforce5.