00:00Top of the list were digital resources, a digitally connected laptop, funds for things
00:08like school excursions and then things that many of us just take for granted, so a school
00:13uniform and school shoes.
00:15Now these are educational essentials and we know how important they are for a young person
00:19to be able to make the most of their education and build a great future and really every
00:25parent wants the best for their children and it's not a position that anyone would want
00:28to be in.
00:29The average young person misses about four and a half weeks of school, significantly
00:34higher than we'd want it to be.
00:37One of the drivers of that is a young person who's on a low income who may not have the
00:41resources of their peers, may not go to school with lunch like their peers, may not have
00:46a school uniform like their peers.
00:48When I talk to the students that we support through the Smith family, so many of them
00:52talk about the profound impact that has had on them in terms of just having a uniform
00:57like their peers.
00:58So they feel a part of a school community and when a young person feels a part of a
01:02school community, they're much more likely to be able to attend school and learn and
01:07make the most of their education and we've got a lot of work to do in terms of the learning
01:11gap nationally.
01:12The average young person by the age of 15 who experiences this advantage can be four
01:17to five years behind their peers in NAPLAN results.
01:20So these very simple things have very profound impacts on young people.
01:27For more UN videos visit www.un.org
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