As a NSW Government campaign aims to boost falling school attendance, Peninsula Living Pittwater investigates the causes and what can be done to reverse this troubling trend.
A post-Pandemic hangover has had a sobering effect on NSW school attendance, with rates falling to historic lows, as both principals and government scramble to find – and treat – the causes. From holidays to school refusal, digital addiction and teacher shortages, students missed 3.8 million days of school in 2022. This has prompted a stark warning from NSW Education Minister Prue Car: that those who skip ‘just one day a fortnight will miss an entire year of learning by the end of their school careers.’
The Every Day Matters social media and television campaign seeks to reverse falling attendance across the state. Statistics show attendance had taken a five per cent dive to 85.7 per cent last year, down from 90.2 in 2019, and well below the state target level of 95 per cent. Every Day Matters aims to link solid attendance to academic success via ‘dashboards’ to identify and treat absence trends while driving ‘behavioural change’ amongst students and parents.
As NSW Premier Chris Minns says: “It’s our job to ensure we get kids back into classrooms where they belong,” warning that, once attendance drops below 80 per cent, students are missing ‘over a month’ of school each year.
Pinpointing the causes is key. While COVID-19 closed much of the world, it opened a new home learning chapter, dulling the appetite to return to classrooms. NSW Budget figures show that the number of NSW homeschoolers has doubled since 2017. However, the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council President, Craig Petersen, says that parents ‘can’t just choose to keep a child at home because it’s easier.’ “It’s not as simple as putting them online and teaching them yourself,” he confirms, warning that home learning is ‘illegal’ unless approved by the NSW Department of Education.
Mona Vale Public School has been working with students to find out what they enjoy about coming to school.
Another culprit is school refusal, or ‘school can’t’ – students who feel unable to attend due to depression, anxiety, bullying, sleep disorders or digital addiction. Numbers are soaring to the point that the Federal Australian Senate is carrying out an inquiry into the National Trend of School Refusal.
Alex Cooling, co-founder of parent support group The Village Northern Beaches, tells Peninsula Living Pittwater that it is ‘school can’t – not won’t.’
“School refusal is a loaded term that implies the child is wilfully being defiant,” she says. “There is nothing wrong with these kids, but there is a huge amount wrong with the system, and we need to focus on providing a safe environment for all.”
External pressure to ensure attendance puts an ‘unmanageable strain on families,’ adds Ms Cooling, calling for mental health and wellbeing to be placed above attendance and academics.
Pittwater High School cooking class.
Forcing students into the classroom can cause ‘further harm and extend their return,’ agrees Mona Vale-based ADHD Coach, Jeanette Rossini. “Schools need to provide flexibility, such as reduced hours, and ensure teachers are trained around trauma-informed approaches,” she says. Students with ADHD or autism will be ‘more engaged’ if they have ‘accommodations such as movement breaks’ and ‘flexibility’ as regards uniform, Jeanette adds.
Worst affected by falling rates are public high schools, with the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority finding that just 36 per cent attended more than 90 per cent of the time last year. Catholic high schools fared better – at 44.4 per cent -with National Catholic Education Executive Director Jacinta Collins confirming that Catholic schools had ‘higher than average’ school attendance last year, and the ‘highest retention of Year 11’s transitioning to Year 12.’ Private high schools came out on top, with 52 per cent.
‘The key is to take the pressure off.’ Jeanette Rossini ADHD Coach, Into Focus Coaching.
Pittwater High School in Mona Vale has rolled out a free online programme, ‘Partners in Parenting,’ to help parents support teens. It offers tools and strategies to understand school refusal and encourage those affected. Principal Alison Gambino tells Peninsula Living Pittwater that ‘every day a student attends, their learning and wellbeing outcomes are enhanced.’
“Our school-based rewards system, ‘Good Vibes,’ has been used to recognise improved attendance,” Ms Gambino says. “We have targeted interventions early in Term Three, with students meeting with the Wellbeing team to set individual goals for improvement.”
Ingraining good habits early on is key, maintains Education Minister Car. “Students who develop positive attendance behaviour in Year Seven are three months ahead in their learning by Year Nine, as well as maintaining friendships,” Ms Car says.
‘This is a wake-up call to prioritise good attendance’
Prue Car, Education Minister.
“This is a wake-up call to prioritise good attendance.”
At Mona Vale Public School, Principal Shannan Judge says that the primary has been ‘discovering what students like about coming to school.’ “We then work with them to develop goals, alongside analysing attendance patterns at five-week intervals,” she adds. The school is currently rolling out customised reports to provide parents with a view of the implications of their child’s attendance rate.
While Every Day Matters will shine a spotlight on this meaty issue, it’s clear that a one-size-fits-all approach is not going to be the silver bullet. Reacting to the individual needs of students must be the focus, and it is this on-the-ground consistency – personalised plans and mental health support by both parents and schools – that will make the biggest dent. As Jeanette Rossini, says: “The key is to take the pressure off, be compassionate and work collaboratively to put student wellbeing first.”
By Catherine Lewis