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community attitudes survey 2023

Latest survey highlights impact of child poverty on education and shows overwhelming support to address it as a national priority

Cost of living increases and interest rate rises have made the last 12 months difficult for everyone. But families and students experiencing disadvantage have been hit particularly hard.

According to the latest Community Attitudes Survey commissioned by The Smith Family, people are expecting things to get worse before they get better and the vast majority believe that helping children and young people to overcome poverty should be a top priority on Australia.

This survey is one of several that The Smith Family regularly conducts to gauge community attitudes towards various issues relating to the impact of poverty on children's education. Through this survey, we aimed to gain a better understanding of public perceptions on these matters and to inform our ongoing efforts to address the challenges facing disadvantaged children and families in our communities.

KEY FINDINGS:

81% expect child poverty to worsen in the next year due to cost of living increases. Likewise, 81% also agree that cost of living increases have made it harder for students experiencing poverty to progress with their education.
83% of people agree that helping children and young people overcome poverty should be the top priority for Australia and 78% agree that students experiencing poverty should be given extra support with their education.
Close to three-quarters (72%) of respondents believe that child poverty has worsened as a result of the cost-of-living increases. Cost of living increases are seen as having a greater impact on child poverty than the Covid-19 pandemic.
79% of people agree that a computer and reliable access to the internet are now essential for any child's education.

The most effective ways to help students experiencing disadvantage are to provide them with a laptop and affordable internet access (59%) and to financially assist with the costs of schooling (also 59%).

Child poverty has worsened and fixing it should be a top priority

1 in 6 young people are currently experiencing poverty. According to ACOSS the poverty line (after tax income) is $489 a week for a single adult and $1,027 a week for a couple with two children. With this in mind, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about students experiencing poverty in Australia?

An overwhelming majority of respondents (81%) said they had seen child poverty increase during 2022 due to cost-of-living increases, and expected that to worsen over the next 12 months. More than 4 in 5 (83%) said that helping these children overcome the effects of poverty should be a top priority for the country.

Respondent were acutely aware of the impact that poverty had on the education of children experiencing disadvantage. More than three quarters believed there should be extra support for the education of students struggling due to disadvantage.

Most people acknowledge the negative impacts that poverty has on students' education

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about how poverty impacts on a student’s education?

Respondents recognised the impact poverty has on education - particularly the effect on the attendance (81%). They also acknowledge the negative effect a lack of resources can have, with 4 in 5 respondents agreeing that students experiencing poverty don’t have the necessary materials for school. Consequently, three quarters of respondents believed that students experiencing poverty were less prepared for their future after high school.

Access to a computer and the internet are seen as essential for children’s education

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A computer and reliable access to the internet are now essential for any child's education.

School essentials don’t just mean books and uniforms anymore. The vast majority of respondents (79%) agreed that technology was now essential for a child’s education. This includes a computer and reliable access to the internet to allow the student to fully engage in their education.

Access to technology and financial assistance are seen as the most effective ways to help students experiencing poverty

How effective do you think each of the following options are to help students who are experiencing disadvantage with their schooling?

When asked how best to help students experiencing poverty, three out of five respondents (59%) agreed the most effective way was to provide them with a laptop and affordable internet access. A similar proportion nominated (59%) providing families with financial assistance to help cover the costs of schooling.

A majority of respondents (54%) also thought that providing more information on future careers and additional outside-of-school learning programs (53%) were effective ways to help students experiencing poverty.

How The Smith Family helps

The Smith Family believes in a world where every child has the opportunity to change their future, and education is the most powerful agent to support that change.

The Smith Family’s supports the education of children and families experiencing disadvantage by offering access to a range of proven out-of-school education and mentoring programs. These start in the early years (Let’s Count, Let’s Read) and, through the Learning for Life sponsorship program, go right through to tertiary education and the transition into the workforce (Growing Careers Program).

Support through The Smith Family also helps families afford the necessities their children need to make the most of their education. This means that families don’t have to make a choice between paying for food or rent and buying the uniforms and school books that are needed for a child to feel comfortable and thrive at school.

Financial support has become even more important as computers and digital access have become essential tools in any child’s education.

How can you get involved? You can make a donation (link), become a regular giver (link) or sponsor a student on the Learning for Life program (link). Your generous support will help a child learn today, so they can change their tomorrows.

About the poll

Conducted by Essential Research, 1-5 March 2023. Sample size: 1141. The weighting efficiency applied to the results at a national level is 88%, which gives an effective sample size of 1005. The maximal margin of error at this effective sample size is ±3.1% (95% confidence level). Note that due to rounding, not all tables necessarily total 100% and subtotals may also vary.