At the Annual General Meeting held on the 29h November, Life Education's Chairman Tony Hasham delivered a report reviewing many of the key developments across the organisation throughout 2012/2013.

1. Life Education
Year in Review
2013
Chairman’s Address
to the Annual General Meeting
29 November 2013

2. Life Education
As we approach our 35th year since the inception of Life Education in
1979 I am delighted to note that our program continues to be
responsive to the contemporary needs of Australia’s children. From
Term 1 2013 we commenced delivering in schools new program content
addressing the challenging issues our children face when online. It is
important that their experiences when online are not only safe, but
positive and constructive. Developed with the support of McAfee and
launched by then Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Sydney, this new
content is targeting students in the middle and upper primary school
years. In the 2013 school year in excess of 50,000 students are
expected to participate in bCyberwise, our new middle primary school
module. Clearly there is a need for this form of support.
In a similar vein, we have commenced the development of educational
program content promoting sexual health. Targeting students in the
upper primary and junior secondary school years, this new content is
being developed with the support of the Queensland Government, and
will be first trialled in Queensland schools before consideration is given
to extending its delivery more broadly. Once again, our decision to
deliver this education to students is a direct response to the feedback
we have received from schools of their need for this form of support.
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3. Life Education
At the time of writing this report we are close to finalising the redevelopment of
our upper primary tobacco module. To be called On the Case, this new material
will be ready for delivery in schools in Term 1 2014. In the 2012 school year 50,000
upper primary students participated in the existing module – The Burning Issue. In
comprehensively redeveloping it - to create fresh, exciting and contemporary
content - we will provide the next 50,000 children, and more, with a highly
engaging and impactful learning and development experience, empowering them
to make informed choices about smoking tobacco.
Who is Life
Education?
We are most grateful to Dick Smith AO, and others, for providing us the
financial support needed to refresh and upgrade this program content.
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4. Life Education
Our partnership with Samsung is seeing laptops, flat screen TVs and tablets
introduced into our mobile classrooms which will enhance student
engagement with our program. Rest assured, while digital content delivered
on various screens will form part of our program delivery, this needs to be kept
in balance with our commitment to providing students with a highly
interactive, hands on, face to face experiential learning opportunity.
In 2012/13 we delivered our program in 3,300 preschools and schools across
Australia, and supported the learning and development of 592,000 students.
Each of these preschools and schools chose to work with us, and pay us a fee
to do so. This saw our Educator visit the school and deliver age appropriate
drug and health education to its students, class by class, from our mobile
classroom. On average across Australia, it cost us approximately $20 per
student to deliver the program. Schools, on average, met $8.20 or
approximately 40% of these costs. With the support of Westpac Foundation,
we have been able to offer more affordable program pricing to many schools
in lower SES communities, which has seen us extend our work into these
schools beyond what would have otherwise been possible. In recent years the
delivery of our program in South Australia has reduced quite significantly, due
to issues unique to that State. This has had an impact on our overall student
numbers. Our efforts to resolve these issues, coupled with stronger
prospects in other States, particularly in Queensland, will see school
and student numbers grow in the years ahead.
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5. Life Education
We have made considerable headway in 2012/13 in developing an
evaluation tool to capture data from both students and teachers. This will
allow us to better understand both the quality of our work in schools and
the impact it is having. With funding from Westpac Foundation, we have
developed and trialled a range of tools and will soon be rolling them out
more formally in a cross section of schools. We expect to be able to report
on the feedback they generate during 2013/14.
Beyond the school classroom, we are keen to extend our influence into the
home environment. Teachers can set extra learning activities for students to
undertake at home, and hopefully with their parents. We provide resources
to teachers and students to support this extra learning. We are now
providing students with access to free, downloadable digital games which
they can play to extend their learning and have fun. Students are also
encouraged to undertake the Bupa Family Challenge, which sees their
families adopt an array of healthier habits consistent with the health
messages we have been promoting to them at school. Throughout 2012/13
– 3,830 families and 16,980 family members participated in this initiative.
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6. Life Education
Our annual public fundraising campaign, Ocsober, raised $650,000 in
2012, which was $110,000 or 20% more than raised in October 2011.
Following the 2012 campaign, and with the benefit of external advice, a
commitment was made to significantly enhance the 2013 campaign. Probably
the most telling piece of advice we received related to the very low level of
investment we were making in Ocsober and the benefits to be generated from
significantly increasing it. We are confident we will report on the success of
this enhanced investment strategy in the 2013/14 annual report.
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7. Life Education
Our financial accounts for the 2012/13 year highlight the $300,000
contribution received from the Australian Government, similar to the amount
received in 2011/12, which assists in funding the work of our National Office.
The unwillingness of the previous Australian Government to provide us with a
funding commitment beyond 1 year has hampered our ability to plan and
operate effectively. This uncertainty was exacerbated shortly before the recent
federal election when, in extending funding for a further 12 months, it slashed
by more than 50% the amount made available. We are in contact with the
relevant Commonwealth Ministers and are hopeful that the new Australian
Government will recognise our relevance and value and make the
commensurate investment in sustaining / growing our capacity to deliver.
Separately we continue to foster relationships with organisations that
recognise this relevance and value, and choose to invest in it. In addition to
those referred to above – Bupa, McAfee, Samsung and Westpac Foundation,
we also acknowledge the highly valued support we receive from Educational
Experience, ASMI and Dairy Australia.
A highlight during 2012/13 was the success of our colleagues in Queensland in
securing the commitment of the Queensland Government to provide financial
support for the program’s delivery in that State. This is an extremely positive
development that will unlock the opportunity for growth in student
participation in the program in the years ahead. We also acknowledge the
financial support we receive for program delivery from the NSW Government
as well as the Victorian and NT Governments.
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8. Life Education
During 2012/13 it was necessary for Life Education Australia to make available
to its South Australian member loans totalling some $227,000. This was
negotiated with the then Board of Life Education South Australia as part of a
series of actions that, early in 2013, saw that Board resign and an interim
Board appointed, the SA CEO and Office Manager roles terminated, the
Adelaide office closed, and the ongoing SA based Educator roles supported by
our Melbourne based team. The loans from Life Education Australia were
required to pay debts owed by Life Education SA, meet certain reorganisation
costs as well as maintain program delivery whilst these new arrangements
were established. The focus now is on rebuilding operations in SA under the
leadership of a new Board. We look forward to reporting on positive
developments on this front in 2013/14.
Our auditors have insisted that we fully provide for this loan to Life Education
SA as a doubtful debt, which is the prudent thing to do in the circumstances.
This accounting treatment has had a significant impact on the Life Education
Australia financial result for the 2012/13 period – being a loss of $123,000.
Despite our difficulties in South Australia it is pleasing to note that collectively
we raised close to $11 million during the fiscal 12/13 year and spent a similar
amount developing and delivering our program.
Income
$000 Expenditure
$000
School fees
4,575 Employees
7,199
Grants
2,622 Other delivery
1,807
Fundraising
2,558 Depreciation
Other income
1,239 Support
Total
10,995 Total
476
1,437
10,919
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9. Life Education
Throughout 2012/13 we have been considering how we should best present
ourselves externally to our core audiences. It is so important that we communicate
with stakeholders such as teachers and parents – whose support is critical to our
success - in a way that resonates with and motivates them. This has seen us adopt
new Vision and Mission statements.
Our Vision – Generations of healthy young Australians
living to their full potential
Our Mission - To empower our children and young
people to make safer and healthier choices through education
Our Mission isn’t that different. It continues to promote student empowerment,
whilst introducing the notion of ‘healthier’ choices in addition to ‘safer’ choices. It’s
clear and succinct. No one should be in any doubt what we do in pursuit of our
Vision – which has changed. Previously it referred to ‘enjoying life free from the
effects of drug use’. The new Vision is broader, consistent with the very clear
feedback we received from many stakeholders, that whilst recognising drug
education as an important part of what we do, they were confused as to why we
would limit ourselves in that way. We are supporting children make a
much broader range of safer, healthier choices and they were keen to see
us presenting ourselves in line with this.
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10. Life Education
Many have responded with strong support for the very positive, aspirational nature
of our new Vision. I also would like to think it is in accord with how Ted Noffs
visioned the work we do. Ted was motivated by a core belief in the uniqueness and
specialness of each and every child – that each was a marvel full of awesome
possibility. And their body, their mind and their spirit – they were extraordinary
and precious. And our responsibility was to provide them every opportunity to
truly understand this – to understand the importance of caring for their body, their
mind and their spirit if their humanity was to flourish – if they were to fully express
their unique potential. Hopefully you see
these powerful sentiments reflected in our
Vision. We are right now in the process of
refreshing our ‘look and feel’. Look out for
developments on this front early in 2014.
We have welcomed new members to our
National Board whilst thanking and farewelling
others. John Waterhouse, Professor Alan Rice
and Steve Kelton left the Board during the year.
Their contributions were greatly appreciated.
Helen Karabassis, Christopher Mapp and Geoff
Masters have joined the Board. Geoff is the CEO
of the Australian Council for Educational Research,
a leading Australian educationalist and a highly
respected contributor to the development of
educational policy in this country. Helen and
Christopher are highly accomplished individuals,
Christopher in media and Helen in marketing. We are delighted to have individuals
with this skill and experience contributing to the organisation’s development. We
will continue to refresh the makeup of the National Board, ensuring it is capable of
providing the organisation with the support and guidance it needs to meet the
challenges inherent in its growth and development.
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11. Life Education
During the year we were also delighted to honour the significance of the
contribution of long term Board members, The Hon Robert J Ellicott and
Rear Admiral (Rtd) Anthony L Hunt, as the inaugural Life Members of Life
Education Australia.
We have welcomed a new CEO to run operations in Victoria. Michelle
Woods joined us following the departure of Anne Hudson after a 17 year
contribution in a variety of roles.
The most significant development in our governance structures during
2012/13 was the emergence of the National Management Team.
Comprising senior executives from across the organisation, the NMT
provides us the forum in which the senior executive agrees priorities and
plans and monitor their implementation. This has been fundamental in
developing the sense of ‘one organisation’ which is critical if we are to
succeed in the years ahead. On behalf of the National Board, I want to
acknowledge the efforts of our CEO David Ballhausen and the senior
executive at National and State levels in embracing this way of working and
thank them for the commitment they express in their work for our
organisation.
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12. Life Education
2014 will be our 35th anniversary. We have come a long way from the first Life
Education classroom, developed by Ted Noffs and his supporters in the Wayside
Chapel in Sydney’s Kings Cross. The extent to which we have succeeded in
delivering such a unique and valued educational experience, year on year, to so
many young Australians – over 4 million when last estimated – is testimony to
the power and relevance of our founder’s vision and the perseverance and hard
work of our staff, volunteers and supporters. I offer my sincere thanks to my
fellow directors for their contribution. I would also like to acknowledge the
wonderful support of our National Ambassadors – Ita Buttrose, AO OBE, Michael
Clarke, Australian Test Captain, The Hon John Howard OM AC, Dick Smith AO and
Dr. Fiona Wood AM. Finally I extend our gratitude to our Patron-in-Chief, Her
Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce AC, Governor General for her Patronage and
support of our work.
I look forward to reporting to you again late in 2014.
Tony Hasham AM FAICD
Chairman
Life Education Australia
November 2013
Footnote
Life Education Australia owns and continues to develop the Life Education program. Its members include its affiliated
State/Territory members – Life Education New South Wales, Life Education Victoria, Life Education Queensland, Life
Education South Australia, Life Education Western Australia and Life Education Northern Territory. The program is
implemented across Australia by these affiliated member organisations. Each of these 7 organisations is separately
incorporated, with their own independent Boards. The Chairs of each State based affiliated member organisation sit on the
Board of Life Education Australia alongside non-affiliated Board members. The consolidated financials presented above have
been compiled from the financial statements of each of the 7 organisations. The financial statements of the major entities
contributing to these consolidated figures have been audited. The consolidated figures have not been audited.
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