As a NSW Government campaign aims to boost falling school attendance, Peninsula Living investigates the causes and what can be done to reverse this troubling trend.
‘Nothing is more important than advocating for a child.’
Jessica L’Green, Occupational Therapist.
A post-Pandemic hangover has had a sobering effect on NSW school attendance, with rates falling to historic lows, as both principals and governments scramble to find – and treat – the causes. From school refusal to holidays, 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 State Government’s recent Every Day Matters social media and television campaign sought 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 aimed 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.
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.
Professor Jennie Hudson, Director of Research at Sydney-based mental health organisation, Black Dog Institute, says: “There’s a misconception that students who are unable to attend do so because they’re naughty, or that parents aren’t strong enough to get them to school. But most don’t attend because they can’t, often due to elevated anxiety and depression.” The link between school refusal and mental health problems – experienced at higher rates since COVID-19 – needs to be a ‘core focus of any government response,’ she adds.
Balgowlah-based occupational therapist, Jessica L’Green, from Kids Plan-it, agrees, telling Peninsula Living that deep-rooted early trauma can often be the cause of high schoolers avoiding the classroom. “Many kids have developed anxiety-related disorders stemming from primary school, (from) social struggles or relating to task performance,” she says. “Schools must be aware that perceived trauma is trauma and must work closely with the student and family to discover how to make school enjoyable again,” she adds.
St Paul’s looks to alert parents early to prevent ‘chronic under-attendance’.
The Principals’ Council’s Mr Petersen says that many schools now have ‘close connections with mental health agencies such as Headspace (a specialist mental health provider for young people), that can be ‘wrapped around the family to help’. Day-to-day support, such as breakfast clubs, text message reminders, rewards and providing buses to pick up chronic absentees, have also yielded positive results.
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 11s transitioning to Year 12’. Private high schools came out on top, with 52 per cent.
‘There’s a misconception that students who are unable to attend do so because they’re naughty.’
Professor Jennie Hudson, Black Dog Institute
St Paul’s Catholic College in Manly says that solid attendance is of ‘paramount importance’ in ensuring students reach their full potential. “As part of our duty of care, we work with parents to support and promote regular attendance,” says a school spokesperson. “(We also) ensure early communication with parents as regards unexplained absences in order to avoid chronic non-attendance.” Ingraining good habits early on is vital, agrees Education Minister Car, as students who ‘develop positive attendance behaviour in Year 7 are, on average, three months ahead in their learning by Year 9.” Academic achievement is not the sole focus, with ‘good attendance vital to developing a sense of belonging and maintaining friendships’.
NSW Education Minister Prue Car says solid school attendance brings more than just academic success.
“This is a wake-up call to prioritise good attendance,” she adds.
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 Jessica L’Green says: “Nothing is more important than being in tune with – and advocating for – a child. Ask them to describe their perfect school day and work back from there.”
By Catherine Lewis