'I didn't see the point': why more Aussie students are leaving school early
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early.
She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path.
Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney.
"Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said.
"It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier."
Ms Valentine is not alone.
More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish.
The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services.
In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent.
The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023.
The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training.
The second group was more cause for concern.
"What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons.
"And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said.
They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these.
"Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said.
"And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors."
Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school.
"Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said.
Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy.
"Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said.
"They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students."
Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards.
And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school.
But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE.
"At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said.
"But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
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The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Cows versus koalas: land clearers dobbed in as 90,000ha of bush bulldozed
Up to 105 cases of land clearing, mainly for farming, could soon be under investigation by authorities after a citizen science project uncovered 90,000 hectares of bush bulldozed over the past five years. The mature native forest, some housing koalas, rock wallabies, glossy black and pink cockatoos, quolls, and gliders, was cleared across 176 properties around Australia. Most of the habitat was ripped up for farming - especially beef - a new report from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has found. The environment group said it would refer more than half the cases - 105 - to federal and state investigators because the clearing was potentially illegal. The largest area cleared on a single property was 7000 hectares, but the average was about 500 hectares. "The habitat destruction is as varied as the Australian landscape is," ACF nature campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said. "We have seen everything from mallee - what people would see as desert-looking - scrub or forest from south-west NSW ... [to] incredibly rich, jungle-like rainforests." Mr Pelle said he visited one of the cleared northern NSW sites identified in the report. "If you walk through them, they are towering forests with trees in excess of 40 and 50 metres high," he said. "You would be in the rainforest, you would hear the call of whip birds around you." Just next door was a different story. "You can be standing in that forest and, across the fence, you can see piles of timber on fire and areas of pasture that would once have looked exactly like the rainforest ... before the bulldozers moved in." The environment group enlisted the help of 675 citizen scientists who pored over satellite images from 2023 and 2024 of four million hectares of Australia identified as likely to be cleared. "The vast majority of cases discovered were on agricultural properties (150 out of the 176) and the biggest driver of deforestation is livestock farming (at least 143 of 176 cases)," the report found. More than half the total area cleared was on beef farms. All the vegetation lost included trees older than 15 years, which was more likely to provide homes and habitat for wildlife like koalas, pink cockatoos and greater gliders, the report said. "Some of these examples of bulldozing could even have knocked down habitat for critically endangered species like the swift parrot, regent honeyeater, and bulloak jewel butterfly, as well as several critically endangered ecological communities," it said. Beef farmer Glenn Morris, from the NSW New England region, said farmers were not rewarded for looking after the land. "They've got a million things on every day ... they're incredibly hard working," he said. "Most farmers have got a good conscience and they'll look after forests and they'll look after trees." "Then there's the ones, they're just chasing that little extra bit of pasture." The outspoken climate activist said people working on the land should be at the forefront of conversations about how to better protect forest and water. "The forest is like a lake in the landscape," Mr Morris said. "So when we clear we're actually taking that water supply out of the landscape." Nathaniel Pelle from ACF said most farmers wanted to do the right thing, but national laws governing land clearing under the the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act were letting nature and threatened species down. "Only 2.5 per cent of all of the referrals ever made to the [federal] environment department have come on agricultural land, even though somewhere between 80 and 90 per cent of the clearing occurs on agricultural land," he said. "It's really the regulators that need to do a better job of making it clear to farmers that they need to obtain a federal approval." The report, Bulldozing the bush, was expected to be released on June 19. Up to 105 cases of land clearing, mainly for farming, could soon be under investigation by authorities after a citizen science project uncovered 90,000 hectares of bush bulldozed over the past five years. The mature native forest, some housing koalas, rock wallabies, glossy black and pink cockatoos, quolls, and gliders, was cleared across 176 properties around Australia. Most of the habitat was ripped up for farming - especially beef - a new report from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has found. The environment group said it would refer more than half the cases - 105 - to federal and state investigators because the clearing was potentially illegal. The largest area cleared on a single property was 7000 hectares, but the average was about 500 hectares. "The habitat destruction is as varied as the Australian landscape is," ACF nature campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said. "We have seen everything from mallee - what people would see as desert-looking - scrub or forest from south-west NSW ... [to] incredibly rich, jungle-like rainforests." Mr Pelle said he visited one of the cleared northern NSW sites identified in the report. "If you walk through them, they are towering forests with trees in excess of 40 and 50 metres high," he said. "You would be in the rainforest, you would hear the call of whip birds around you." Just next door was a different story. "You can be standing in that forest and, across the fence, you can see piles of timber on fire and areas of pasture that would once have looked exactly like the rainforest ... before the bulldozers moved in." The environment group enlisted the help of 675 citizen scientists who pored over satellite images from 2023 and 2024 of four million hectares of Australia identified as likely to be cleared. "The vast majority of cases discovered were on agricultural properties (150 out of the 176) and the biggest driver of deforestation is livestock farming (at least 143 of 176 cases)," the report found. More than half the total area cleared was on beef farms. All the vegetation lost included trees older than 15 years, which was more likely to provide homes and habitat for wildlife like koalas, pink cockatoos and greater gliders, the report said. "Some of these examples of bulldozing could even have knocked down habitat for critically endangered species like the swift parrot, regent honeyeater, and bulloak jewel butterfly, as well as several critically endangered ecological communities," it said. Beef farmer Glenn Morris, from the NSW New England region, said farmers were not rewarded for looking after the land. "They've got a million things on every day ... they're incredibly hard working," he said. "Most farmers have got a good conscience and they'll look after forests and they'll look after trees." "Then there's the ones, they're just chasing that little extra bit of pasture." The outspoken climate activist said people working on the land should be at the forefront of conversations about how to better protect forest and water. "The forest is like a lake in the landscape," Mr Morris said. "So when we clear we're actually taking that water supply out of the landscape." Nathaniel Pelle from ACF said most farmers wanted to do the right thing, but national laws governing land clearing under the the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act were letting nature and threatened species down. "Only 2.5 per cent of all of the referrals ever made to the [federal] environment department have come on agricultural land, even though somewhere between 80 and 90 per cent of the clearing occurs on agricultural land," he said. "It's really the regulators that need to do a better job of making it clear to farmers that they need to obtain a federal approval." The report, Bulldozing the bush, was expected to be released on June 19. Up to 105 cases of land clearing, mainly for farming, could soon be under investigation by authorities after a citizen science project uncovered 90,000 hectares of bush bulldozed over the past five years. The mature native forest, some housing koalas, rock wallabies, glossy black and pink cockatoos, quolls, and gliders, was cleared across 176 properties around Australia. Most of the habitat was ripped up for farming - especially beef - a new report from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has found. The environment group said it would refer more than half the cases - 105 - to federal and state investigators because the clearing was potentially illegal. The largest area cleared on a single property was 7000 hectares, but the average was about 500 hectares. "The habitat destruction is as varied as the Australian landscape is," ACF nature campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said. "We have seen everything from mallee - what people would see as desert-looking - scrub or forest from south-west NSW ... [to] incredibly rich, jungle-like rainforests." Mr Pelle said he visited one of the cleared northern NSW sites identified in the report. "If you walk through them, they are towering forests with trees in excess of 40 and 50 metres high," he said. "You would be in the rainforest, you would hear the call of whip birds around you." Just next door was a different story. "You can be standing in that forest and, across the fence, you can see piles of timber on fire and areas of pasture that would once have looked exactly like the rainforest ... before the bulldozers moved in." The environment group enlisted the help of 675 citizen scientists who pored over satellite images from 2023 and 2024 of four million hectares of Australia identified as likely to be cleared. "The vast majority of cases discovered were on agricultural properties (150 out of the 176) and the biggest driver of deforestation is livestock farming (at least 143 of 176 cases)," the report found. More than half the total area cleared was on beef farms. All the vegetation lost included trees older than 15 years, which was more likely to provide homes and habitat for wildlife like koalas, pink cockatoos and greater gliders, the report said. "Some of these examples of bulldozing could even have knocked down habitat for critically endangered species like the swift parrot, regent honeyeater, and bulloak jewel butterfly, as well as several critically endangered ecological communities," it said. Beef farmer Glenn Morris, from the NSW New England region, said farmers were not rewarded for looking after the land. "They've got a million things on every day ... they're incredibly hard working," he said. "Most farmers have got a good conscience and they'll look after forests and they'll look after trees." "Then there's the ones, they're just chasing that little extra bit of pasture." The outspoken climate activist said people working on the land should be at the forefront of conversations about how to better protect forest and water. "The forest is like a lake in the landscape," Mr Morris said. "So when we clear we're actually taking that water supply out of the landscape." Nathaniel Pelle from ACF said most farmers wanted to do the right thing, but national laws governing land clearing under the the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act were letting nature and threatened species down. "Only 2.5 per cent of all of the referrals ever made to the [federal] environment department have come on agricultural land, even though somewhere between 80 and 90 per cent of the clearing occurs on agricultural land," he said. "It's really the regulators that need to do a better job of making it clear to farmers that they need to obtain a federal approval." The report, Bulldozing the bush, was expected to be released on June 19. Up to 105 cases of land clearing, mainly for farming, could soon be under investigation by authorities after a citizen science project uncovered 90,000 hectares of bush bulldozed over the past five years. The mature native forest, some housing koalas, rock wallabies, glossy black and pink cockatoos, quolls, and gliders, was cleared across 176 properties around Australia. Most of the habitat was ripped up for farming - especially beef - a new report from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has found. The environment group said it would refer more than half the cases - 105 - to federal and state investigators because the clearing was potentially illegal. The largest area cleared on a single property was 7000 hectares, but the average was about 500 hectares. "The habitat destruction is as varied as the Australian landscape is," ACF nature campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said. "We have seen everything from mallee - what people would see as desert-looking - scrub or forest from south-west NSW ... [to] incredibly rich, jungle-like rainforests." Mr Pelle said he visited one of the cleared northern NSW sites identified in the report. "If you walk through them, they are towering forests with trees in excess of 40 and 50 metres high," he said. "You would be in the rainforest, you would hear the call of whip birds around you." Just next door was a different story. "You can be standing in that forest and, across the fence, you can see piles of timber on fire and areas of pasture that would once have looked exactly like the rainforest ... before the bulldozers moved in." The environment group enlisted the help of 675 citizen scientists who pored over satellite images from 2023 and 2024 of four million hectares of Australia identified as likely to be cleared. "The vast majority of cases discovered were on agricultural properties (150 out of the 176) and the biggest driver of deforestation is livestock farming (at least 143 of 176 cases)," the report found. More than half the total area cleared was on beef farms. All the vegetation lost included trees older than 15 years, which was more likely to provide homes and habitat for wildlife like koalas, pink cockatoos and greater gliders, the report said. "Some of these examples of bulldozing could even have knocked down habitat for critically endangered species like the swift parrot, regent honeyeater, and bulloak jewel butterfly, as well as several critically endangered ecological communities," it said. Beef farmer Glenn Morris, from the NSW New England region, said farmers were not rewarded for looking after the land. "They've got a million things on every day ... they're incredibly hard working," he said. "Most farmers have got a good conscience and they'll look after forests and they'll look after trees." "Then there's the ones, they're just chasing that little extra bit of pasture." The outspoken climate activist said people working on the land should be at the forefront of conversations about how to better protect forest and water. "The forest is like a lake in the landscape," Mr Morris said. "So when we clear we're actually taking that water supply out of the landscape." Nathaniel Pelle from ACF said most farmers wanted to do the right thing, but national laws governing land clearing under the the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act were letting nature and threatened species down. "Only 2.5 per cent of all of the referrals ever made to the [federal] environment department have come on agricultural land, even though somewhere between 80 and 90 per cent of the clearing occurs on agricultural land," he said. "It's really the regulators that need to do a better job of making it clear to farmers that they need to obtain a federal approval." The report, Bulldozing the bush, was expected to be released on June 19.
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
Chappo didn't like Shakes when they first met. Now, they're ‘like brothers'
Primary teacher Caleb 'Shakes' Mills (right) and youth pastor James 'Chappo' Chapman, both 20, met in year 7. They've been taking it in turns to carry each other, physically and emotionally, ever since. James: I didn't like Shakes when we met in 2017. He was friends with friends of mine and I was jealous. In the end, I decided to give him a crack. Turned out he was a lot like me: loves meeting new people, staying up late planning adventures and writing songs. We clicked, and rode our bikes all over Newcastle together. A couple of mates took us to youth church and we became Christians. It gave us a supportive community and a belief in something bigger than ourselves. I use my disability to share hope with other young people. I don't sugar-coat it, though: at times, I struggle. I was born with pseudoachondroplasia dwarfism, a one-in-a-million condition. At nine, I had an operation to straighten my legs and was bedridden for three months. The prospect of an even bigger operation at 13 was terrifying but, in the end, my doctor felt it wasn't necessary. I was basically given a second childhood – and Caleb was a big part of that. 'We gave each other a safe space to talk; nothing, not even something as dark as that, was off limits.' James 'Chappo' Chapman Even though I'm not wheelchair-bound, I had to use one at school, so Caleb would push me and help carry my stuff. His dad and younger brother moved away after his parents split in 2018, and we'd often make the three-hour return trip from Newcastle to Woy Woy after school to see them. He missed them terribly. I just wanted to be beside him. When we were 14, an older boy in our youth group committed suicide. We'd shared a cabin with him at camp and it hit all of us hard. We didn't know what to think or feel and having someone to process something so heavy with was a relief. We gave each other a safe space to talk; nothing, not even something as dark as that, was off limits. After finishing school, we travelled through Europe, Japan and Egypt for four months. I wanted to bite his head off at times – Shakes is chronically late and sleeps and showers way too much – but I couldn't have done it without him. In Iceland, we shared a bottom bunk in a rental van with a dwarf friend for 10 days while two mates, who'd just started going out, slept on top. The sound of them getting intimate a foot above our heads ... we'll never be able to unhear it. At festivals, I'm always on his shoulders, which is how I ended up on stage with Macklemore last year in Sydney for a dance-off, which was super-fun. Shakes is always right there with me in the mosh pit; he won't let me miss a thing. When I made the Australian soccer team for the 2023 World Dwarf Games in Germany, Shakes said, 'I'm coming, too.' We had to pay our own way, so Caleb helped fundraise and live-streamed our matches. We lost to France in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals, but I felt so supported having him there.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Chappo didn't like Shakes when they first met. Now, they're ‘like brothers'
Primary teacher Caleb 'Shakes' Mills (right) and youth pastor James 'Chappo' Chapman, both 20, met in year 7. They've been taking it in turns to carry each other, physically and emotionally, ever since. James: I didn't like Shakes when we met in 2017. He was friends with friends of mine and I was jealous. In the end, I decided to give him a crack. Turned out he was a lot like me: loves meeting new people, staying up late planning adventures and writing songs. We clicked, and rode our bikes all over Newcastle together. A couple of mates took us to youth church and we became Christians. It gave us a supportive community and a belief in something bigger than ourselves. I use my disability to share hope with other young people. I don't sugar-coat it, though: at times, I struggle. I was born with pseudoachondroplasia dwarfism, a one-in-a-million condition. At nine, I had an operation to straighten my legs and was bedridden for three months. The prospect of an even bigger operation at 13 was terrifying but, in the end, my doctor felt it wasn't necessary. I was basically given a second childhood – and Caleb was a big part of that. 'We gave each other a safe space to talk; nothing, not even something as dark as that, was off limits.' James 'Chappo' Chapman Even though I'm not wheelchair-bound, I had to use one at school, so Caleb would push me and help carry my stuff. His dad and younger brother moved away after his parents split in 2018, and we'd often make the three-hour return trip from Newcastle to Woy Woy after school to see them. He missed them terribly. I just wanted to be beside him. When we were 14, an older boy in our youth group committed suicide. We'd shared a cabin with him at camp and it hit all of us hard. We didn't know what to think or feel and having someone to process something so heavy with was a relief. We gave each other a safe space to talk; nothing, not even something as dark as that, was off limits. After finishing school, we travelled through Europe, Japan and Egypt for four months. I wanted to bite his head off at times – Shakes is chronically late and sleeps and showers way too much – but I couldn't have done it without him. In Iceland, we shared a bottom bunk in a rental van with a dwarf friend for 10 days while two mates, who'd just started going out, slept on top. The sound of them getting intimate a foot above our heads ... we'll never be able to unhear it. At festivals, I'm always on his shoulders, which is how I ended up on stage with Macklemore last year in Sydney for a dance-off, which was super-fun. Shakes is always right there with me in the mosh pit; he won't let me miss a thing. When I made the Australian soccer team for the 2023 World Dwarf Games in Germany, Shakes said, 'I'm coming, too.' We had to pay our own way, so Caleb helped fundraise and live-streamed our matches. We lost to France in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals, but I felt so supported having him there.
