MEDIA RELEASE
Date: 21 October 2010
Subject: Children who are homeless miss out on education
A significant difference can be made to the educational engagement of children who are homeless
through stronger collaboration between schools and support agencies according to a report
released today by Hanover, the Brotherhood of St Laurence and the Foundation for Young
Australians.
By the completion of the two year Education Development Project, funded by the Federal
Government, twenty five of the twenty eight students supported by Hanover and the Brotherhood of
St Laurence were still in school.
Tony Keenan, CEO of Hanover Welfare Services explains the experience of homelessness makes
staying at school even more difficult for children and young people.
“It is well known that moving schools has a devastating impact on children’s engagement with
school. For children in families experiencing homelessness this is exacerbated ten fold. Not only
do they move from one form of emergency accommodation to the next but many also move from
one school to the next. Forty five percent of the students involved in the Education Development
project had moved schools four or more times in their young lives.”
Children who are homeless have lower school attendance, a higher prevalence of early school
leaving and lower levels of educational attainment than their peers.
However the research reveals that children’s participation in education significantly improves when
schools and support agencies work more closely together.
The report, released today, looked into the impact of greater collaboration between student, parent,
school and support agencies. The study showed that positive outcomes can be achieved by greater
collaboration with improvements in school attendance, attitude to learning, reading and writing and
behaviour.
“The project has demonstrated the benefit of having better, more proactive systems of collaboration
and exchange in place between schools and support agencies” said Tony Nicholson, Executive
Director of Brotherhood of St Laurence
This alone however will not solve the problem of early school leaving for children experiencing
homelessness.
“The costs of school education are also a significant barrier to completing school for students living
in poverty” continues Tony Nicholson. “State and Federal Governments need to look at ways to
reduce the costs for disadvantaged families to send their children to school.”
Tony Keenan agrees and argues a different approach is also needed to provide housing to families
with school aged children.
“The way the housing system works at the moment, families can be moved three or more times
once they enter the homelessness support system. This can lead to an even greater disruption to
children’s schooling. Priority needs to be given to finding accommodation for families that enables
their children to stay at the same school.”
The report includes twenty one recommendations as to how Government, schools and support
agencies can improve educational outcomes for children experiencing homelessness. Key
recommendations include:
Australian and State Governments should work to reduce the costs of schooling
Improving transfer of information between schools when students do move
Schools and homelessness support agencies consider ways in which to establish learning
support to assist students who are behind their peers
Priority be given to families who are homeless in allocating public housing to enable
students to remain at school.
A copy of the report can be found on the Hanover and Brotherhood of St Laurence websites.
Media Enquiries:
Celeste Harrison – Hanover Welfare Services on 9695 8353.
ABOUT HANOVER WELFARE SERVICES
Established in 1964, Hanover is a leading Melbourne agency which provides services to people
experiencing homelessness or housing crisis. Approximately people seek our assistance each year,
6,000 of these are dependent children. Hanover takes its name from its first location in Hanover
Street, Fitzroy. Hanover is independent; it has no structural links with churches, institutions or
governments.
NEWS 
