People often assume the name ‘Smart Population’ has its roots in education and that the Foundation’s goal is to make Australia’s population smart. True, we encourage all forms of education and scholarly excellence, however, our real preoccupation is with growing and developing the country’s population in a smart, intelligent way.

Populate in a smart way

Australia’s population is ageing and its fertility rate is low— these two factors have the potential to cause economic problems in both the near and distant future:

• As people age they become more dependent on welfare and the health services
• As the fertility rate drops below "replacement" levels the workforce decreases, leaving less people to increase GDP to pay the taxes that fund welfare and the health services.

This predicament is often referred to as the welfare squeeze.

While some will argue that the low fertility rate can be offset by schemes which encourage people to have more children, the reality is that Australia is unlikely to experience another baby boom like it did in the 50s and 60s.

Instead, the country needs to find ways to better enable the population of young people it does, and inevitably will, have so they enter the workforce, stay in the workforce and make a greater contribution while they’re there. Not only that, an informed population is healthier, puts less financial strain on the health, welfare and justice systems, and can make better-informed political decisions.

Not only that, children who are given consistent boundaries, realistic information and are allowed to practice solving their own problems, over time, are more likely to become proactive learners.  Proactive learners and problem solvers are less likely to rely on someone else (like the government) to solve their problems and are better equipped to adapt to changes in employment opportunities that arise.  And a flexible workforce can go a long way towards addressing the deficiency in number.

Investing in child development initiatives and early intervention schemes is one way to avoid some of the pain. In fact, this investment carries a massive 700% return in future savings on health, crime and welfare, according to a well-established US study by the RAND Corporation. 

The shift from growth to development

Experts are now realising that there needs to be an economic shift from planning models which produce more ‘warm bodies’ to schemes which invest in people in general and child development in particular. Here’s how this concept plays out:

Australia’s prosperity relies on a competent workforce.

A competent workforce is made up of well-adjusted adults.

Well-adjusted adults are the result of problem-solving, curious and healthy children.

Healthy children are raised in safe and enriching environments free of abuse and neglect.

Safe and enriching environments rely largely on capable, confident parents and carers.

Capable parents and carers need access to the knowledge and skills that can inform parenting (whether from family, support services or other sources) ...

Which is where Smart Population Foundation and the Raising Children initiative wants to play a part.