The Back2School program is a new appeal which could potentially be viewed as Charity Link’s most important contribution to the West Australian community. Charity Link’s Back2School appeal will aim to help West Australian children to realise their full potential: to succeed academically, stay in school longer and help break generations of poverty. The appeal has been developed in response to feedback from our members, 75% of whom report that they regularly receive requests for support with back to school products. Such feedback prompted Charity Link to undertake a ‘literature review’ of the ‘Effects of Education on Poverty’. The final summary statement of the literature review stated: “The increasing costs associated with schooling have meant that low- socioeconomic families are being pushed over the edge, financially, at the beginning of each school year. The results from psychological research argue the strong relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and the academic achievement of children. It has been shown how these children are more likely to leave school early, play truant, fail academically and receive a lower quality education than children from wealthier families. Therefore, generous intervention programs are needed to fill the gap because “a child’s right to education is one of his or her most fundamental human rights…education plays a crucial role in helping to create equality that allows children to reach their full potential and to empower themselves...” (Birch, 2000)”. Based on these findings, Charity Link’s board agreed to implement this third appeal, which will relieve the financial burden that many families face at the beginning of each school year (exasperated by increasing costs) by providing basic stationery items in “back-to-school packs”. Initially the program will focus on providing materials for primary school students, however it is hoped that program will expanded to include stationary for secondary students, and eventually vouchers to access school uniforms and new school books.
The Back2School program is a new appeal which could potentially be viewed as Charity Link’s most important contribution to the West Australian community.
Charity Link’s Back2School appeal will aim to help West Australian children to realise their full potential: to succeed academically, stay in school longer and help break generations of poverty.
The appeal has been developed in response to feedback from our members, 75% of whom report that they regularly receive requests for support with back to school products.
Such feedback prompted Charity Link to undertake a ‘literature review’ of the ‘Effects of Education on Poverty’. The final summary statement of the literature review stated:
“The increasing costs associated with schooling have meant that low- socioeconomic families are being pushed over the edge, financially, at the beginning of each school year. The results from psychological research argue the strong relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and the academic achievement of children. It has been shown how these children are more likely to leave school early, play truant, fail academically and receive a lower quality education than children from wealthier families.
Therefore, generous intervention programs are needed to fill the gap because “a child’s right to education is one of his or her most fundamental human rights…education plays a crucial role in helping to create equality that allows children to reach their full potential and to empower themselves...” (Birch, 2000)”.
Based on these findings, Charity Link’s board agreed to implement this third appeal, which will relieve the financial burden that many families face at the beginning of each school year (exasperated by increasing costs) by providing basic stationery items in “back-to-school packs”. Initially the program will focus on providing materials for primary school students, however it is hoped that program will expanded to include stationary for secondary students, and eventually vouchers to access school uniforms and new school books.