Life Education

Year in Review

2013

Chairman’s Addressto the Annual General Meeting

29 November 2013

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.

1.

Who is Life

Education?

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.

2.

We are most grateful to Dick Smith AO, and others, for providing us the financial support needed to refresh and upgrade this program content.

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.

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.

3.

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.

Life Education

4.

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.

Life Education

5.

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.

6.

Life Education

Income $000 Expenditure $000

School fees 4,575 Employees 7,199

Grants 2,622 Other delivery 1,807

Fundraising 2,558 Depreciation 476

Other income 1,239 Support 1,437

Total 10,995 Total 10,919

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.

7.

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 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.

8.

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

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 Noffsvisioned 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.

9.

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.

10.

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 FAICDChairmanLife Education Australia

November 2013

Life Education

11.

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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