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View all programs Community Attitudes Survey 2025
The latest Community Attitude Survey results show that people are aware of child poverty in the community. A significant majority of respondents say they have seen child poverty worsen over the last year and don’t expect things to improve over the next 12 months. Importantly, an overwhelming majority say they think that combating child poverty should be a top priority for our nation.
Currently, one in six children in Australia are growing up in poverty.1 That’s 1.2 million children and young people – and it’s having a direct impact on their education.
Whilst the vast majority of Australians understand poverty can impact a child’s education, the extent of the those impacts often remain hidden from the public eye. Many families were struggling before recent cost-of-living increases, and respondents say this has had a negative impact on children’s education. There is also broad agreement on the need for action to help young people experiencing disadvantage with their education.
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.
Currently, one in six children in Australia are growing up in poverty.1 That’s 1.2 million children and young people – and it’s having a direct impact on their education.
Whilst the vast majority of Australians understand poverty can impact a child’s education, the extent of the those impacts often remain hidden from the public eye. Many families were struggling before recent cost-of-living increases, and respondents say this has had a negative impact on children’s education. There is also broad agreement on the need for action to help young people experiencing disadvantage with their education.
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:
- 83% agree that helping children and young people overcome poverty should be the top priority for Australia.
- 82% of people say that students affected by poverty should be given extra support for their education.
- 81% also agree that cost of living increases have made it harder for students experiencing poverty to progress with their education.
- 75% of respondents expect child poverty to worsen in the next year due to cost of living increases.
- 78% of people agree that a computer and reliable access to the internet are now essential for any child's education, and 80% said digital skills are important for a young person’s secondary education.
- Financially assisting with the costs of school essentials (64%) and providing them with a laptop and affordable internet access (63%) are seen as the most effective ways to help students experiencing disadvantage.
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?
More than 4 in 5 respondents (83%) say they think combating childhood poverty should be a top priority for the nation. Two thirds said they had seen child poverty increase during 2024. And 81% said that cost-of-living increases had made it harder for students to progress with their education. 82% said they believed students affected by poverty should be given extra support additional support to help them with their studies.
Effectiveness of poverty interventions
How effective do you think each of the following options are to help children and young people overcome poverty?
When asked about the effectiveness of combating poverty, 73% of respondents say extra support for the education of students experiencing disadvantage is effective. Almost three quarters (74%) say that greater access to affordable housing is an effective way to help children and young people overcome poverty.
Impact of poverty on education
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about how poverty impacts on a student’s education?
There is a high level of understanding about the various impacts that poverty has on a child’s education. Over 80% nominate being unable to take part in extracurricular activities or school excursions, 79% say students are likely to become disengaged, and 79% say students affected by poverty are or more likely to miss school or fall behind.
Effectiveness of education interventions
How effective do you think each of the following options are to help students who are experiencing disadvantage with their schooling?
When asked what they thought was the most effective way to support students experiencing disadvantage, most respondents nominated providing assistance with practical educational tools, such as financial assistance for things like textbooks, uniforms and educational activities (63%), and providing a laptop and affordable internet (also 63%). Three out five also thought education and advice on future careers and study paths to achieve them was effective support.
Importance of access to technology
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
A growing number of respondents are recognising the importance of literacy, numeracy and digital skills in a modern education, with 81% agreeing they were a critical component in 2025 – up from 79% in 2024. Four out of five respondents say they think digital skills are essential for secondary education, and 72% say the same for a child’s primary education. Over three quarters (78%) of respondents also recognised the need for every child to have access to a computer and reliable internet access.
How The Smith Family helps
The Smith Family believes in a world where every child is empowered to change their future, and education is the most powerful agent to support that change.
The Smith Family 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 Project).
Along the way they can access reading support programs like student2student, explore the world of work through Work Inspiration, learn about the world of work through the Growing Careers Project, or develop their passion for the arts on the SmArts 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 things like food or rent and buying the uniforms and schoolbooks that are needed for a child to 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, become a regular giver or sponsor a student on the Learning for Life program. Your generous support will help a child learn today, so they can create their own futures.
The Smith Family 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 Project).
Along the way they can access reading support programs like student2student, explore the world of work through Work Inspiration, learn about the world of work through the Growing Careers Project, or develop their passion for the arts on the SmArts 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 things like food or rent and buying the uniforms and schoolbooks that are needed for a child to 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, become a regular giver or sponsor a student on the Learning for Life program. Your generous support will help a child learn today, so they can create their own futures.
About the poll
The Community Attitudes Survey was conducted by Essential Research with data provided by Qualtrics. The survey was conducted online from 12th to 17th March 2025 and is based on 1,133 participants. The weighting efficiency applied to the results at a national level is 81%, which gives an effective sample size of 915. The maximal margin of error at this effective sample size is ±3.2% (95% confidence level).
Note that due to rounding, not all tables necessarily total 100% and subtotals may also vary.
Note that due to rounding, not all tables necessarily total 100% and subtotals may also vary.
12022 Poverty in Australia ACOSS/UNSW Report. https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/a-snapshot-of-poverty-in-australia-2022/