We will add publications about the project by the team and when others feature the project.
Publications by the project team
September 2024
Being at School: A Prerequisite for Educational Equity
Attending school is a pre-requisite not only for academic learning, but also for social connections, emotional wellbeing, and physical development. This is even more important for students experiencing disadvantage, such as those in out-of-home care. However, these students are likely to be absent from school far more often than their more privileged peers, which means school attendance is a crucial equity issue.
Importantly, absence from school is not just an educational concern but also a social concern. It is certainly not simply the fault of students, their families or carers. In this chapter, we outline three ways of reimagining school attendance. First, making school systems more inclusive to reduce system-generated absences. Second, ensuring schools are places where students want to be, to reduce unauthorised absences. Finally, strengthening links between social services and schools to enable students to be at school and reduce authorised absences. All of these require changes in practices, political will, and proper resourcing.
Enabling students experiencing disadvantage to gain the full benefits of school by being in class and in the playground alongside their peers is a key foundation for a better and more equitable future—both for these students themselves, and for our wider communities.
May 2022
Children and young people in out-of-home care tend to have lower educational achievement than their peers because of additional challenges like unstable housing or their needs not being met. Supporting children and young people to regularly attend school is fundamental to setting them up for educational and lifetime success.
Attending school every day counts – but kids in out-of-home care are missing out
This article was selected for inclusion in the 2022 yearbook by The Conversation: te Riele, K. et al. (2022). Attending school every day counts – but kids in out-home-home-care are missing out. Reckoning with Power and Privilege. Edited by Michael Hopkin. Thames and Hudson: Australia.
It was also reproduced in Child Magazine and the University of Tasmania Newsroom.
In the media
October 2024
The University of Tasmania featured a story on our engagement with the National Kinship, Permanent and Foster Care Conference in August held in Melbourne, Victoria.
Listening to carers at the National Kinship, Permanent and Foster Care Conference.
May 2023
Based on a media release by the CREATE Foundation, the School News Australia featured a story on our project.
February 2023
The media release by the Australian Research Council about the 2022 Round 1 Linkage Projects scheme funding singled out just three of the 81 new projects for special mention. Our project was one of those three.
40 million arc linkage projects drives collaboration and innovation
This project has been partially funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council Linkage Scheme (LP2201001130). It will run from late 2023-2026.