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Research

Lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic: Why Australian schools should be prioritised to stay open

In 2020, school and early childhood educational centre (ECEC) closures affected over 1.5 billion school-aged children globally as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Attendance at school and access to ECEC is critical to a child's learning, well-being and health. School closures increase inequities by disproportionately affecting vulnerable children. Here, we summarise the role of children and adolescents in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission and that of schools and ECECs in community transmission and describe the Australian experience.

Research

Burden and preference-based quality of life associated with bullying in children

The objectives of this study are to assess the association between childhood bullying and preference-based health-related quality of life in Australian school children and their parents and estimate quality-adjusted life years associated with bullying chronicity. Children aged 8-10 years completed the child health utilities, while parents completed the Australian quality of life.

Research

Associations between School Readiness and Student Wellbeing: A Six-Year Follow Up Study

It is well established that children’s school readiness is associated with their later academic achievement, but less is known about whether school readiness is also associated with other measures of school success, such as students’ social and emotional wellbeing. While some previous research has shown a link between early social and emotional development and student wellbeing, results are mixed and the strength of these relationships vary depending on whether data is based on child, teachers or parents ratings and which specific student wellbeing outcomes are measured.

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The Diverse Risk Profiles of Persistently Absent Primary Students: Implications for Attendance Policies in Australia

Understanding variations in risk profiles among persistently non-attending children will inform the development of absence interventions.

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School readiness of maltreated children: Associations of timing, type, and chronicity of maltreatment

In this study, the Australian Early Development Census scores of 19,203 children were linked to information on child maltreatment allegations.

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Does the reason matter? How student-reported reasons for school absence contribute to differences in achievement outcomes among 14–15 year olds

We used data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children to examine the reasons for 14-15 year old absences and how they relate to outcomes in year 9.

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Maternal alcohol use disorder and child school attendance outcomes for non-Indigenous and Indigenous children in Western Australia: A population cohort record linkage study.

Maternal alcohol use disorder was associated with a significantly increased odds of poor school attendance for non-Indigenous and Indigenous children.

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School absence and its effect on school performance for children born with orofacial clefts

We aimed to describe school absence and its relationship with school performance for children with and without orofacial clefts.

Early Years Systems Evidence

The Early Years Systems Evidence (EYSE) team specialises in working in partnership with governments and service providers, with a distinct focus on improving the life chances of children in Australia.

Research

The Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC): Promoting the importance of students’ wellbeing and mental health in schools

o help raise the profile of student wellbeing in the education system in Australia, The Kids Research Institute Australia and SA Department for Education through the Fraser Mustard Centre, set out to adapt and trial a population-level student wellbeing measure that could be used across the entire public and p