MYSTERIOUS: The smith family - What They Never Told You

Scholarship helps disadvantaged student reach for more

He wore the same pair of shoes throughout primary school but with help from The Smith Family, James Bow is forging a new path out of poverty.

AAP · Aug 29

Families choosing school or savings as fuel prices bite

Work from home, catch public transport, ride a bike, go electric - meet the Australians for whom none is an option, and go without if they fill up their tank.

AAP · Apr 10

Australia’s cost of living ‘getting crazier’ as nearly half of lower-income families worry about affording school shoes

Nine in 10 families are worried about price of back-to-school essentials as inflation continues to bite, research has found

The Guardian - AU · Jan 7

‘I felt I had no choice’: why Deborah did her schoolwork using the shopping centre wifi

One in four Australians don’t have access to essential technology. The Smith Family says a national device bank could help close the gap

The Guardian - AU · Oct 14, 2024

Coalition to vote against fuel efficiency standard despite not seeing bill – as it happened

This blog is now closed.

The Guardian - AU · Mar 25, 2024

Does a public school education in Australia really cost $93k?

Costs listed in new report include optional items such as music instruments and outside tuition and are ‘really inflated’, expert says

The Guardian - AU · Jan 18, 2024

Jahmel can’t do his homework at home without a laptop. It’s a school essential his family can’t afford

The year 8 student’s mother says it’s getting ‘hard to keep up’ as the cost-of-living crisis bites – and she wants to see schools providing tech for students

The Guardian - AU · Jan 16, 2024

Parents struggling to pay for education as living costs 'snowball'

'It's not a nice feeling to be like 'I can't afford that' for my children's education.'

Newcastle Herald · Nov 9, 2023

Families learn to stretch the budget, but some children miss out

'You want to give them everything but you can't.'

The Canberra Times · Nov 7, 2023

The digital divide: stress of purchasing study essentials alleviated

'It's helped me get laptops and textbooks - things I wouldn't have been able to afford.'

Newcastle Herald · Sep 8, 2023