In his report released today called Dropping off the Edge, Professor Tony Vinson has ranked both Broadmeadows and Campbellfield among Victoria’s top 40 most disadvantaged suburbs.
Dropping off the Edge was commissioned by the Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia.
“The report shows how poverty is largely structural and how social disadvantage has become more and more pronounced in Australia” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Quite simply, there are fewer and fewer opportunities out there for poorer families to break the cycle of poverty they find themselves in.”
“The Howard government never talks about poverty and it never acknowledges disadvantage, but the reality is that a large number of Australian’s are being left behind” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Despite more and more evidence emerging that a growing number of Australian families are struggling to make ends meet, the Howard government seem to have stopped listening.”
The report identifies the strong link that exists between intergenerational poverty and lack of educational opportunities in particular.
“We need to tackle the problem of intergenerational poverty at the level of education, especially preschool and early childhood education” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Children who have access to preschool or early childhood education are much more likely to do well at school and to finish year 12. And children who do well at school have a better chance of doing well in life.”
“For this reason, Labor has committed $450 million to making sure that all 4 year olds in Australia have access to early childhood education under its Early Childhood Education Plan” Ms Vamvakinou said
“Under Labor’s Early Childhood Education Plan, very Australian child will have access to 15 hours of quality preschool or early learning each week for a minimum of 40 weeks per year, delivered by a qualified teacher.”
Labor’s Early Childhood Education Plan will also see:
· An extra 1,500 new university places being funded in early childhood education
· TAFE fees for child care trainees abolished.
· HECS repayments for early childhood graduates working in areas of need halved.
“Parents know how critical the early years are for our children, and Labor’s Early Childhood Education Plan is about giving Australian children the best possible start in life, regardless of what background they may come from” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“According to OECD figures, Australia spends just 0.1% on pre-primary education, compared to the OECD average of 0.5%.”
“By ensuring universal access to early childhood education, we can go a long way towards addressing the problem of intergenerational poverty in Australia.”
“Investing in our children’s education is also an investment in Australia’s future prosperity.”
Contact: Alex Kouttab 0417 541 465
