I speak on an issue of great interest to me and to many in my community. Economic disadvantage is a destructive force. It erodes mental and physical health, it hampers children's wellbeing and developmental outcomes, and it can mean the difference between a comfortable old age or a harsh and uncertain one. It can also have intergenerational impacts on families and communities. Children who grow up in persistent economic disadvantage are three times more likely not to finish high school compared to children who have never been poor, with significant long-term impacts on physical and mental health, employment prospects and lifetime earnings.
Research conducted by the NSW Council for Social Service [NCOSS] shows that, unfortunately, children still have the highest rate of poverty, State-wide, of any age bracket, and they make up one quarter of all those living in poverty in New South Wales. Despite an overall reduction in child poverty since 2016, the most recentNCOSS Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW Report showed that a number of areas saw a significant increase in child poverty rates. The vast majority of those are in western and south-western Sydney. Areas such as Bonnyrigg Heights and Mount Pritchard both saw an increase of eight percentage points.
It is a general rule that education is the way to boost social mobility and make communities more equal. African proverb states, "When you educate a woman, you educate a community." The Harding Miller Education Foundation is built on this principle and the understanding that educating girls would change not only their lives but also the lives of their families and community. The foundation supports academically talented young girls who are in low socio-economic circumstances. The Harding Miller Education Foundation scholarship program provides the tools, resources and support that the girls need to reach their potential, starting from year 9.
This year, the foundation celebrates awarding over 1,000 scholarships. Last night, I was very pleased to attend the 2023 Awards Night to celebrate this year's scholarship recipients, as well as acknowledge the achievements of the graduating year 12 scholarship cohort, who were denied their awards night due to the COVID lockdowns and restrictions. I had the opportunity to present awards to Aishwarya Soorajkumar and Alisa Truong, who are both in year 9 at Miller Technology High School. Aishwarya is also a JP Morrison scholar. It was wonderful to see them both supported by Principal Dr Ken Edge, their teachers and their parents. It was obvious to all just how much the award means to the girls, their school community and their families. I know that they will make a difference. I also acknowledge fellow scholarship winners Babylonia Kanno and Mallak Alsabahi, who are both year 9 students at Liverpool Girls High School. I wish each of these girls every success in utilising the scholarship program to its fullest advantage.
Last night we heard from previous scholarship winner Tara Mahshar. She described her journey from being a shy year 7 student who was in her shell to being a bold, funny, highly intelligent and resilient young woman who is keen to be a future leader. We are in good hands if our future leaders are of Tara's calibre. I wish Tara the very best in utilising her experiences to impact her family and community. The Harding Miller Education Foundation is the brain child of Kim Harding, an experienced and highly lauded businessperson, and Irene Miller, a former public school teacher and staunch advocate of public education. They understood the barriers, including technological ones, that some face in accessing education. Some families struggle to put food on the table, let alone purchase a computer. Others would know that the digital divide is still a huge issue in many of our communities, including mine, and access to the internet or other necessary digital resources is constrained.
Others may face the barrier of a lack of mentorship or role modelling. For girls from environments in which they may be the first to attend university or aspire to higher education, there is a lack of the wisdom, advice and knowledge that is often shared informally within family or social networks. The work that the Harding Miller Education Foundation does is part of a community-focused strategy to work towards the success of three of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Education is a necessary building block on the path to greater wellbeing for all people and communities. I acknowledge the presence of the Minister for Youth Justice who, in his role as a former teacher and school principal, has made a huge difference to his community.
