At the heart of the Australian ‘fair go’ is the belief that our society provides every individual with the opportunity to make the most of their lives, regardless of their parental or family background.

Kids from welfare-dependent families struggle on almost every education and health measure. Photo by Oliver Lang.

A commendable ethic indeed, but how real is it in practice?

Are we really giving our children the chance to grow up masters of their own destiny, or are we (unintentionally or not) confining them to tread the same footprints as their parents?

For too many of our disadvantaged kids, the ‘fair go’ is far gone.

Last week saw the release of the latest research from the Youth in Focus project, undertaken by the Federal Government, Australian National University and University of Melbourne.

It compared the life histories, attitudes and outcomes of young people whose parents have received welfare payments for varying lengths of time, with those who have never received benefits.

Their findings showed that young people from long-term welfare-dependent families did much less well on almost every education and health measure, with behavioural ramifications as well, including their development of a work ethic.

Breaking the cycle of disadvantage has never been more important if we are to improve the life chances of these children, but in the words of one of the researchers at ANU, Professor Deborah Cobb-Clark, the solution is ‘not just more money’, because the gap between the kids at the top and bottom of the social ladder appears to be getting bigger.

In terms of income inequality, Australia is already one of the most unequal societies of the developed world, and increasing the hand outs to disadvantaged families is unlikely to provide them with the hand up they need to make a better life for themselves in the long run.
This month, The Smith Family released a new community service announcement that makes clear the importance of education in adopting a preventive approach to breaking this cycle of disadvantage.

It is a message that we have been communicating ever since we undertook to comprehensively transform The Smith Family in 1999 from a welfare organisation to one that provides disadvantaged kids with educational support and learning opportunities.
We would all agree that no child should have to attend school without the right uniform, or even stationery, but this still occurs more often than many of us would dare to admit in this country. And much more than that, no child should be deprived of the essential learning that takes place outside of the classroom, which can reinforce school lessons.

This includes mentoring and tutoring, participation in sports or the arts, which their parents may not be able to offer, simply because they can’t afford to.

These life lessons are so crucial to wellbeing and personal development for any young person, but remain out of reach for many.
What the Youth in Focus research makes clear is that without support from the earliest point, disadvantaged parents can inadvertently pass an intrinsic hardship onto their children which then becomes more difficult to shake as one gets older and more entrenched in the status quo.
It calls to mind a West Australian student who, with the support of The Smith Family, has become the first Aboriginal student to graduate from his high school in 10 years.

He confided in us that his parents never had the same opportunities to get an education as he’d had. Both parents were denied the chance to complete even a few years of high school, but fiercely believed in the value of education for their children.

This strength of will and determination for a better future for their children is admirable and yet heartbreaking upon the realisation that it’s sometimes simply not enough.
This same student told us he had been determined to drop out of school at the earliest possible opportunity, but had found outside support at a crucial time which he credits with his later achievement.

The best intentions of his parents were not enough to shield him from falling grades and the social pressures of the schoolyard, but he nonetheless escaped the trap of disadvantage young people can easily fall into.
There are many students in this situation who need that extra boost to break the mould and it is fantastic to see the look on parents’ faces as their children succeed in the face of hardship they themselves were never empowered to overcome.

To the thousands of generous Aussies who support our work we are extremely thankful, but our gratitude can never top that of our students and their families.

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12 comments

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    • Liz says:

      07:59am | 09/10/09

      The Smith Family do great practical work where it matters.The Government can do more to break the cycle..public housing,better dental services, support and mentoring for those who want it.You can never legislate to help those who do not and choose to remain victims.It is hard work pulling yourself up by your bootstraps however much support you have.

    • Lexi says:

      08:34am | 09/10/09

      Liz, while I agree that affordable housing is certainly a significant issue - there simply isn’t enough of it - it is imperative that our governments do not repeat the mistakes of the past.  Do not create huge public housing estates in which children grow up never having seen people dressed for work and leaving each morning to go to a job.  They have to see a wide range of role models, and the only way this can be achieved is to have public, community and affordable housing distributed throughout the community, in affluent and working class suburbs alike, randomly scattered. 

      We also have to support breakfast clubs in schools.  Children can’t learn if they’re hungry.

      The Smith Family’s doing a great job in providing the kinds of support that many of us middle class folk take for granted - having someone who is interested and supportive of your education, who provides you with the necessities of education.

      An investment in education of socially and economically disadvantaged children saves the government a lot of money in the long run, as these students, when educated, have a greater chance of working (rather than receiving welfare), privately renting or owning a home (rather than living in public housing) and contributing to taxation revenue (rather than needing a greater proportion of government funded services, including but not limited to healthcare).

    • Chris says:

      09:12am | 09/10/09

      “In terms of income inequality, Australia is already one of the most unequal societies of the developed world”
      Whilst I have alot of respect for the Smith family I think that comment is stretching it quite a bit. From working and travelling abroad I would say the opposite is true.

    • David C says:

      11:02am | 09/10/09

      Why do we always focus on the gap between rich and poor? It is not important, what is important is that we are all moving forward.
      You cant make the poor stronger by making the rich weaker.

    • John A Neve says:

      01:35pm | 09/10/09

      To address this problem, we first have to answer the following question; are children the responsibility of their parents or the state?

      If the answer is the state, then there are many children who should be removed from their parents and placed in suitable care.

      If the answer is the parents, then the whole family has to be removed from the ghettos in which they currently live. One or both parents will have to be retrained, the children will have to attend school and the whole family will have to be monitored.

      History has shown families on wellfare and living in camps/ghettos won’t change. The peer pressure is too great, just think,  over 100 years and nothing has changed.

    • Julia says:

      02:54pm | 09/10/09

      About the income equity. Can we just say it like it actually is? If you have 20 million people on a range of incomes from $5-$50 a week in one country and 20 million people on a range of incomes from $250-$100,000 per week, is the person on $250 a week better or worse off than the person on $50 a week? Given that the person receiving $250 a week is also getting free health, education and rent, and the person on $50 a week does not?

      The gap exists because opportunity exists.

    • stephen says:

      08:40pm | 09/10/09

      Private education should only begin at High School level, and should be a specialized education. Kindergarten and Primary school should be co-ed and fully paid by the Government. At this level, the school psychologist and curriculum advisor have equal status with the Teacher. To level the ‘playing field’, start young.

    • Stan W says:

      09:58pm | 11/10/09

      If you can’t look after and support yourself - you should not have children as they will probably not be able to look after and support themselves.  We need a reproduction license.

    • Rosebud says:

      11:14am | 12/10/09

      Income gap 5 or 7 to 1, working out how a society moves all its citizens forward is key for both developed and developing nations, at their different stages of development.  Surely we have had enough conflicts and wars to teach up that lesson, from the French Revolution to the Vietnam war…

    • MF says:

      01:25pm | 12/10/09

      My parents were on welfare more or less my entire childhood.  I didn’t want to end up like that, so I worked my ass off at school.  A really average public school for that matter.  I now have a PhD and am working at the upper end of scientific research.  It’s a cop out to say that you can’t succeed without having well off parents.  That’s just an excuse for when you’re not motivated enough to do something about it.

 

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