It was great to connect with The Hon. Di Farmer, Queensland’s Minister for Education and Minister for Youth Justice at the Queensland Labor Business Roundtable.

We all know Education is more than just a means to an end – it is a powerful force that shapes individuals and societies.

Ms Farmer said the greatest single determinant that a child will end up in the youth justice system is if they’re disengaged from education by the time they’re seven.

She said many children who misbehaved or dropped out “have been exposed to poverty, homelessness, DV, disengagement from education, one or both parents incarcerated, substance abuse’’.

The Minister is a big believer in the schooling system recognising that kids have a whole lot of other stuff going on in their life, which is affecting their learning, and we need to get kids engaged with education, training, and the workforce.