Meal-skipping, poverty and device gaps are pushing kids out of classrooms, with charities warning that schools are now ground zero for growing family hardship.
Food relief charity OzHarvest has reported 2025 as its worst year on record for food insecurity, as demand for support soars and resources run dry.
The charity’s latest Community Needs Survey revealed a 54% increase in people being turned away from charity doors, as frontline organisations struggle to meet the ongoing high demand.
NSW state manager Richard Watson told SBS News that meeting growing demand is a “daily challenge”.
“Food insecurity in Australia is often overlooked — we describe it as a hidden crisis that is affecting so many families right now,” he said.
“Children are arriving at school tired and unfocused, families are stressed about how to stretch their budgets, and others [are] going without because they’re prioritising other bills.”
Some schools are reportedly being turned away from the program entirely, as coordinators say they are stretched thin.
‘Child poverty now at breaking point’
In October, research from Barnardos Australia revealed more than 800,000 children are now living below the poverty line across Australia, the highest number in more than two decades.
The researchers from Barnardos Australia say the data shows that urgent action to address child poverty in Australia is needed.
“Child poverty in Australia is now at breaking point,” Barnardos Australia Centre Manager Grace Hong said. “This is a crisis that’s completely preventable.”
Hong said families are being forced to skip meals and children are bearing the brunt of the impact.
“This can look like skipping meals, missing school, and social activities that are critical foundations of their childhood. We are talking about robbing children of so much, including their joy.”
Poor nutrition a major issue
Dr Hannah Kirk, a developmental psychologist and senior lecturer at Monash University, said children need adequate nutrition to maintain brain health.
“The brain uses a huge amount of the body’s energy and needs to be fuelled accordingly,” she told SBS News. “Skipping meals leads to reduced glucose availability and can impact neural systems that support key cognitive processes such as attention and working memory.”
Without these foundational skills that allow us to concentrate and remember information, it is very challenging to acquire new knowledge and skills, Kirk cautioned.
“Nutritional inadequacies are associated with increased illness, poorer sleep, and reduced physical exercise, all aspects that can contribute to poorer development and increased school absence.”
A lack of supplies can also lead to social exclusion and reduced self-esteem as children may feel embarrassed or different, which can lead to social withdrawal and reduced “socio-emotional development”.
Kirk said that educational engagement plays a “huge role” in children’s developmental trajectories.
“Early disengagement from schools can lead to reduced skill development and restrict later employment opportunities, as well as elevating the risk of involvement with the justice system. It is therefore crucial that children’s engagement with education is prioritised.”
Device poverty driving absenteeism and school refusal
Research shows that while the COVID pandemic accelerated the proliferation and use of digital devices, the sudden shift to online services left many families more digitally excluded than ever.
A study published by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) found that some families are investing in technology to ensure their children are not disadvantaged but cost-of-living pressures mean they are cutting out other essentials to do so.
The Smith Family, which supports 73,000 disadvantaged students across Australia in 800 schools, has seen this issue worsen over the last few years, with CEO Doug Taylor warning that a growing number of schools are struggling to provide for students in need.
In a recent survey by the charity, 60% of disadvantaged families found it hard to afford essential school items this year, and 44% of students from these families don’t have access to laptops at home.
Worryingly, data from NAPLAN results show that disadvantaged students who lack access to educational essentials can be four to five years behind their peers in literacy and numeracy.
“Many schools these days will have bring-your-own-device policies, which is great for young people’s learning, but it’s really challenging for families that don’t have access,” Taylor said, adding that poverty and disadvantage can also increase absenteeism and contribute to children dropping out of school.
“Our school completion rate is at a historic low. While some of that has to do with COVID-19, there are factors like mental wellbeing and disadvantage also contributing to that.”