1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,199 Speaker 1: Some pretty grim numbers around truancy out this morning. Around 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: one thy one hundred and ten students weren't enrolled in 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: school for more than a year in twenty twenty four. 4 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Two thirds of those ages between twelve and fourteen years old. 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: Students are put down as not enrolled if their absence 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: is unexplained for twenty days or more so. Joe Malcolm 7 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: Black is the CEO of the Graham Dingle Foundation. This 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: is the charity that's worried about all of this, and 9 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: she joins me this morning. 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 2: Hello Joe, Good morning Andrew. 11 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: This is pretty dire, isn't it. These kids aren't just wagging, 12 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: They are choosing not to be educated for a year. 13 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 2: It is pretty worrying. 14 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: Why is it happening? 15 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 2: Wow? It's an interesting one obviously, at least this is 16 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 2: a pretty tricky chilt for young people. There are lots 17 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: of complex things happening in their lives. What we are 18 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 2: seeing at the Foundation, and we've noticed it since after 19 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: the twenty twenty lockdowns, is that a number of young 20 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 2: people are flying under the radar there just becoming less 21 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: connected to their friends, they're learning in their communities, and 22 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 2: what that tends to do is that tends to have 23 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 2: a long impact normal things like not just on things 24 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 2: like confidence, anxiety, loss of direction, but it can have 25 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 2: a really negative long term impact on their well being, 26 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 2: their educational outcomes, and of course the future. So what 27 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 2: can start something pretty small can happen massive impact on 28 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: their lives. 29 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: It's not just the kid's choice here. The parents are complicent, 30 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: So why are they letting the kids get away with us? 31 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 2: Young people, if you've got some in your lives, are 32 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 2: complicated animals, and it is really hard to the place 33 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: blame entirely on parents or on students. What tends to 34 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: happen with young people at the stage is there are 35 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 2: a lot of complex things going a lot around in 36 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: their lives that are needing to be managed. They will 37 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: be dealing with developmental, social, emotional, and environmental factors. Sometimes 38 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 2: the parents just don't know, sometimes they do. Sometimes there 39 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: are complex things happening happening in their families. The best 40 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 2: way that you can turn this around, or the best 41 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 2: way that you can can change this from happening, is 42 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 2: to try and engage early with young people and provide 43 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: consistent support about urge and that will reduce the risk 44 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: of of disengagement. It's really something you can start at five. 45 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 2: You can actually start it at four things like building 46 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: coping skills as preschoolers, but you can start it at 47 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 2: five with creating some fun, interact experiential sessions that help 48 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 2: young people stay connected with Some of the feed that 49 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 2: we got during COVID around some of our promo school 50 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 2: kids is how much their attendance school happened. We know 51 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: it attending here, we can classes. It's a habit that 52 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 2: resilience is built. You are born with some inateability, but 53 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:18,119 Speaker 2: you you augment that by help. But they're learning their experience. 54 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 2: This is not a child doesn't wake up at five 55 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 2: and say I've got to disengage from school. Now. There 56 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 2: is a whole lot of commutative factors that cause that 57 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 2: to happen. You can keep them connected by staying alongside 58 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 2: them and helping them learn with their peers about why 59 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 2: being engaged and connected to their colleagues and connected to 60 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: their schools, connected to their communities is important. 61 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: Now, this was an election issue, So is the work 62 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: that the government doing on truancy working and what could 63 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: they do more? 64 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: It is hard to say at the stage. Obviously we 65 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 2: really support the government getting involved in this in this 66 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 2: because it will change the impact of how our next 67 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: duration has grown. So we think it's a really good 68 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 2: thing to do. What we advocate for is working towards 69 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: community approaches that really really does take your whole community. Obviously, 70 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 2: supportive families and communities are important engagement of skilled teachers, 71 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: but social services and community organizations as well are important 72 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: are important to we will all create an environment that 73 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 2: want to stay connected to and parents support and the 74 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 2: government feels as valid. All of those things will create 75 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 2: a social system that can make this happen for us. 76 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: Jo American Black. I thank you so much for getting 77 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: up early for us and show as the CEO of 78 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: the Graham Dingle Foundation. For more from Early Edition with 79 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: Ryan Bridge. 80 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 2: Listen live to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, 81 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 2: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.