Australia called to lift on global health as US yields
That's the bottom line of research that indicates the well-off nation is not pulling enough weight on the world stage to understand, anticipate and respond to emerging international health threats.
The Australian government spent just under $630 billion on health between 2017 and 2023, according to a report commissioned by the Australian Global Health Alliance.
About $35 billion was directed to health and medical research but just $2 billion was specifically set aside for global research.
The country must increase and realign its funding to address and anticipate global health challenges more effectively, the report said.
"Despite commendable efforts, Australia's investment in global health research lags behind its international peers," it said.
"Key areas such as the impact of climate change on health, antimicrobial resistance, and pandemic preparedness are notably underfunded."
Alliance executive director Selina Namchee Lo said the global scientific community was successful in rapidly delivering vaccines and treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But where it fell short was equity, with some of the hardest-hit countries missing out.
"What we're saying is equity is not optional for global health," Dr Lo told AAP.
Another report, also commissioned by the alliance with Pacific Friends of Global Health, detailed the impact of two Australian-backed global public private partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia has collectively poured more than $2.5 billion into The Global Fund and Gavi since 2000, helping to immunise more than 100 million children and save lives in the region.
But the country's level of foreign aid has been been in "significant decline" since 2012, stagnating at $US3 billion annually over the past seven years.
The multilateral aid landscape is "under pressure" after the US and UK reduced their commitments, the report said.
It comes after US President Donald Trump's administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development, cutting funding to its aid programs worldwide.
Dr Lo, who has nearly three decades experience in global and international health, said the abrupt exit of USAID left communities "in the lurch".
"It's never good to have one group, whether it's a philanthropist or a country, be a monopoly," she said.
"Because when they pull out, this is what happens."
The Indo-Pacific still accounts for 25 per cent of global infections, with 6.7 million people in the region living with HIV and malaria rampant in Papua New Guinea.
Pacific Friends of Global Health chair Brendan Crabb wants Australia to take up the mantle.
"As the US administration dramatically steps back from global health leadership, Australia has a critical opportunity to convene and partner with Asia Pacific countries to advance the health priorities of the region," the Burnet Institute chief executive said.
Australia must come to the party with more money to combat climate-related health issues, antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics.
That's the bottom line of research that indicates the well-off nation is not pulling enough weight on the world stage to understand, anticipate and respond to emerging international health threats.
The Australian government spent just under $630 billion on health between 2017 and 2023, according to a report commissioned by the Australian Global Health Alliance.
About $35 billion was directed to health and medical research but just $2 billion was specifically set aside for global research.
The country must increase and realign its funding to address and anticipate global health challenges more effectively, the report said.
"Despite commendable efforts, Australia's investment in global health research lags behind its international peers," it said.
"Key areas such as the impact of climate change on health, antimicrobial resistance, and pandemic preparedness are notably underfunded."
Alliance executive director Selina Namchee Lo said the global scientific community was successful in rapidly delivering vaccines and treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But where it fell short was equity, with some of the hardest-hit countries missing out.
"What we're saying is equity is not optional for global health," Dr Lo told AAP.
Another report, also commissioned by the alliance with Pacific Friends of Global Health, detailed the impact of two Australian-backed global public private partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia has collectively poured more than $2.5 billion into The Global Fund and Gavi since 2000, helping to immunise more than 100 million children and save lives in the region.
But the country's level of foreign aid has been been in "significant decline" since 2012, stagnating at $US3 billion annually over the past seven years.
The multilateral aid landscape is "under pressure" after the US and UK reduced their commitments, the report said.
It comes after US President Donald Trump's administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development, cutting funding to its aid programs worldwide.
Dr Lo, who has nearly three decades experience in global and international health, said the abrupt exit of USAID left communities "in the lurch".
"It's never good to have one group, whether it's a philanthropist or a country, be a monopoly," she said.
"Because when they pull out, this is what happens."
The Indo-Pacific still accounts for 25 per cent of global infections, with 6.7 million people in the region living with HIV and malaria rampant in Papua New Guinea.
Pacific Friends of Global Health chair Brendan Crabb wants Australia to take up the mantle.
"As the US administration dramatically steps back from global health leadership, Australia has a critical opportunity to convene and partner with Asia Pacific countries to advance the health priorities of the region," the Burnet Institute chief executive said.
Australia must come to the party with more money to combat climate-related health issues, antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics.
That's the bottom line of research that indicates the well-off nation is not pulling enough weight on the world stage to understand, anticipate and respond to emerging international health threats.
The Australian government spent just under $630 billion on health between 2017 and 2023, according to a report commissioned by the Australian Global Health Alliance.
About $35 billion was directed to health and medical research but just $2 billion was specifically set aside for global research.
The country must increase and realign its funding to address and anticipate global health challenges more effectively, the report said.
"Despite commendable efforts, Australia's investment in global health research lags behind its international peers," it said.
"Key areas such as the impact of climate change on health, antimicrobial resistance, and pandemic preparedness are notably underfunded."
Alliance executive director Selina Namchee Lo said the global scientific community was successful in rapidly delivering vaccines and treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But where it fell short was equity, with some of the hardest-hit countries missing out.
"What we're saying is equity is not optional for global health," Dr Lo told AAP.
Another report, also commissioned by the alliance with Pacific Friends of Global Health, detailed the impact of two Australian-backed global public private partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia has collectively poured more than $2.5 billion into The Global Fund and Gavi since 2000, helping to immunise more than 100 million children and save lives in the region.
But the country's level of foreign aid has been been in "significant decline" since 2012, stagnating at $US3 billion annually over the past seven years.
The multilateral aid landscape is "under pressure" after the US and UK reduced their commitments, the report said.
It comes after US President Donald Trump's administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development, cutting funding to its aid programs worldwide.
Dr Lo, who has nearly three decades experience in global and international health, said the abrupt exit of USAID left communities "in the lurch".
"It's never good to have one group, whether it's a philanthropist or a country, be a monopoly," she said.
"Because when they pull out, this is what happens."
The Indo-Pacific still accounts for 25 per cent of global infections, with 6.7 million people in the region living with HIV and malaria rampant in Papua New Guinea.
Pacific Friends of Global Health chair Brendan Crabb wants Australia to take up the mantle.
"As the US administration dramatically steps back from global health leadership, Australia has a critical opportunity to convene and partner with Asia Pacific countries to advance the health priorities of the region," the Burnet Institute chief executive said.
Australia must come to the party with more money to combat climate-related health issues, antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics.
That's the bottom line of research that indicates the well-off nation is not pulling enough weight on the world stage to understand, anticipate and respond to emerging international health threats.
The Australian government spent just under $630 billion on health between 2017 and 2023, according to a report commissioned by the Australian Global Health Alliance.
About $35 billion was directed to health and medical research but just $2 billion was specifically set aside for global research.
The country must increase and realign its funding to address and anticipate global health challenges more effectively, the report said.
"Despite commendable efforts, Australia's investment in global health research lags behind its international peers," it said.
"Key areas such as the impact of climate change on health, antimicrobial resistance, and pandemic preparedness are notably underfunded."
Alliance executive director Selina Namchee Lo said the global scientific community was successful in rapidly delivering vaccines and treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But where it fell short was equity, with some of the hardest-hit countries missing out.
"What we're saying is equity is not optional for global health," Dr Lo told AAP.
Another report, also commissioned by the alliance with Pacific Friends of Global Health, detailed the impact of two Australian-backed global public private partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.
Australia has collectively poured more than $2.5 billion into The Global Fund and Gavi since 2000, helping to immunise more than 100 million children and save lives in the region.
But the country's level of foreign aid has been been in "significant decline" since 2012, stagnating at $US3 billion annually over the past seven years.
The multilateral aid landscape is "under pressure" after the US and UK reduced their commitments, the report said.
It comes after US President Donald Trump's administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development, cutting funding to its aid programs worldwide.
Dr Lo, who has nearly three decades experience in global and international health, said the abrupt exit of USAID left communities "in the lurch".
"It's never good to have one group, whether it's a philanthropist or a country, be a monopoly," she said.
"Because when they pull out, this is what happens."
The Indo-Pacific still accounts for 25 per cent of global infections, with 6.7 million people in the region living with HIV and malaria rampant in Papua New Guinea.
Pacific Friends of Global Health chair Brendan Crabb wants Australia to take up the mantle.
"As the US administration dramatically steps back from global health leadership, Australia has a critical opportunity to convene and partner with Asia Pacific countries to advance the health priorities of the region," the Burnet Institute chief executive said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
12 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
Roundtable must reform the super performance test
Last week, French pharmaceutical company Sanofi announced a deal worth over $1 billion to buy a biotech firm with exclusive rights to a unique vaccine technology developed by Australian scientists. This is great news. The global player will buy into Vicebio, a London-based group, which is developing vaccines for two respiratory viruses using the molecular clamp technology invented by University of Queensland professors Paul Young, Daniel Watterson and Keith Chappell.
The Advertiser
12 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Quiet 'missing middle' kids left struggling at school
Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard." Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard." Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard." Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard."
Perth Now
17 hours ago
- Perth Now
Quiet 'missing middle' kids left struggling at school
Lizzy is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys who love playing with their friends, kicking the footy and swimming. It was during COVID-19 lockdowns that she began noticing her kindergarten son struggling with reading and literacy. When he returned to normal lessons at school he was getting top marks for effort, but his learning difficulties were discouraging him by year 3. "We had a lot of pushback about attending school and not wanting to be there, but when he was there he was wonderful and his teachers loved him," said Lizzy, a mum from rural NSW who asked not to use her surname. "Then he'd come home and he'd just completely implode. "They couldn't see the frustration and pressure because he was masking it during the day." Lizzy's son falls into what rural psychologist Tanya Forster describes as "the missing middle". These are the often compliant and quiet children whose learning difficulties may go unnoticed in under-resourced public schools, particularly in rural and regional areas. Their delays also often don't fall into the narrow diagnostic eligibility for further learning support in the education system. "The pressure on (teachers) in the classroom is really considerable and the way that the school system is designed, it's still quite a traditional model," says Ms Forster, who leads the Macquarie Health Collective in Dubbo. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not necessarily meeting the inclusive needs of modern-day students." The situation is likely borne out in the recent NAPLAN results, which show one-in-10 Australian students need more help to meet basic education standards. NAPLAN also confirmed an enduring regional divide with just 20 per cent of students in very remote areas exceeding expectations, compared to 70 per cent of their city peers. "The results tell us a lot about what we probably already know: that there are lots of kids at school that are struggling," Ms Forster told AAP. "Unfortunately, many of those kids can't access the support that they really need." Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says while there are some encouraging signs of improvement in numeracy and literacy, the results show there is more work to do. All states and territories have signed agreements with the government to fix public school funding, Mr Clare says. "This funding is tied to real and practical reforms," he said in a statement issued on Wednesday. "Phonics checks and numeracy checks to identify students who need additional support, and evidence-based teaching and catch-up tutoring to help them keep up and catch up." But regional families come up against other deeply entrenched problems, such as poor access to specialist services. There were 53 specialists per 100,000 people in remote areas in 2022, compared to 160 in the cities, with years-long public waitlists for developmental assessments with pediatricians in the regions. Disasters such as floods, fires and COVID-19 may have pushed regional kids out of school, with the non-attendance rate at 14.6 per cent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 10.6 per cent, according to a Jobs and Skills Australia report. The report recommended a suite of changes to re-engage and motivate young people, including linking them with local mentors and employers outside schools. While health and education reforms slowly work away in the background, former high school teacher Shannon Chapman says families can look at NAPLAN results as an opportunity to explore children's strengths. "NAPLAN results do not capture valuable skills and knowledge, such as a student's resilience, confidence, their creativity, their leadership," said Ms Chapman, a teaching and learning facilitator at the Dubbo clinic. "You probably do have this incredibly well-rounded child that may have below the standard NAPLAN results, but that does not capture a lot of skills and knowledge." Like many rural parents, Lizzy went to the private health system to receive a formal diagnosis for her son. That has opened up valuable learning and support programs, sparking a change in her son that's like "night and day". "I am grateful for the team we were able to eventually access, but I'm more worried about the people that don't have that or it's not accessible," she said. "You have to fight really hard to get it and to be seen and heard."
