Parents eligible for student assistance payment but do not need it encouraged to donate to EduKids program

Parents eligible to the receive the State Government’s student assistance payment, but do not need it, are being encouraged to donate it to a worthy cause. Variety WA has expanded its annual EduKids Grants program to allow the payments to be donated directly to the initiative, which sees funds given directly to schools to allocate to children experiencing disadvantage. The program has been running for four years, with schools only allowed to spend the funds on approved items. Variety WA chief executive Chris Chatterton said the charity wanted to provide a simple way for those who do not need the payments to donate theirs to help children who need assistance. “Every school differs in what the kids need most,” he said. “I visited 32 schools around the State late last year delivering EduKids Grants and some schools desperately needed jumpers, others needed shoes to allow them to participate in technical classes and training.” More than 160 public schools were helped across the State last year, including Bunbury’s Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School and Augusta Primary School. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education Meredith Hammat highlighted the benefits of the program. “We know that lots of children need additional support with their schooling supplies, and this is a program that allows schools to buy really practical things that will make a difference to those children and their education,” she said. Variety WA is hoping to more than double the $300,000 in EduKids Grants it handed out last year.