Keeping Kids Engaged in School
The social cost of a young person leaving school early is $616,000 over their lifetime.
Attendance
92% average attendance for participating students from 2 primary schools.
The Issue
Studies have found that young people who leave school early are at greater risk of experiencing long term unemployment, which can lead to many other risk factors including social exclusion, welfare dependence, reduced life satisfaction and mental health problems.
The Approach
The Keeping Kids Engaged in School project works to increase school attendance and supports families to prioritise education. A working group of organisations oversee and deliver different aspects of the program, which builds resilience in children at primary school and provides support in their transition to secondary school.
The program also engages young people in community activities such as sport and art. We support families to overcome complex issues that may be inhibiting their prioritisation of education, and help to reintegrate young people who are already disengaged from education or training.
Future Goals
We are continuing to build on the success of the project’s first few years and are seeking to work beyond the planning and implementation of strategies. The project is working to identify the root causes of why students are becoming disengaged in the first place.
Our future ambitions include:
