KCC Publication

School Attendance

To all our Parent/Carer Community,

 

I would like to bring to your attention the importance of attendance in our schools. The CEDWW Attendance Policy states that emerging absenteeism is any student with attendance under 85% and this needs to be addressed by schools with notification home via a letter. If a student's attendance does not improve after this notification we, as a school, are required to hold an Attendance Planning meeting with parents/carers and the student to plan for improved attendance.

 

It is the duty of parents/carers to inform the College when your child is absent. At Kildare, if your child is absent in Coaching, Lesson 1 and 2, we send a text message informing you of the absence. We then require you to reply to this via the Compass Parent Portal or email. kcc-absentees@ww.catholic.edu.au with a reasonable excuse. If you do not reply within 2 weeks this unexplained absence becomes unjustified and shows up on the school report.

 

The following comes from Section 22 of the Education Act

 

1.1. Under Section 22 of the Education Act, it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that a child who is of compulsory schooling age is enrolled at a school and attends:

  • The school on every day, and during the times on every day, when school is open for Attendance
  • Every activity of the school (including attendances at an approved educational course) that the school requires the child to attend

1.2. Parents must have a reasonable excuse for not complying with the compulsory attendance requirements in the Act

 

1.3. If parents do not have a reasonable excuse they are liable under the Act and guilty of an offence

 

1.4. Examples of a ‘reasonable excuse’ for a child’s absence might include:

  • Illness, including recovery from major illness, injury or medical condition
  • Medical or dental treatment
  • Bereavement
  • Religious or cultural observation
  • Family holidays or extended visits overseas
  • Attendance at a wedding
  • Attendance at court or other legal hearings or meetings associated with hearings
  • Participation in sanctioned debates, eisteddfods, sports, musical or theatrical productions not directly arranged by the school
  • Participation in territory, interstate, national or international sporting event or equivalent
  • Sanctioned extended absence in relation to children of travelling families

1.5. Section 21B of the Act defines the compulsory schooling requirements of participation for students of the compulsory school age. Students of compulsory school age must be participating in full-time schooling, or its equivalent, unless they have applied and been accepted for an exemption. Full-time schooling or its equivalent includes:

  • A child above 6 years of age and below the minimum school leaving age of 17, participating in full-time study
  • A child who has completed Year 9 of study and leaves to engage in an apprenticeship or traineeship as defined by the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001, with consent of their parents, School Principal and the Apprenticeship/Traineeship provider
  • A child who is over the age of 15 and is undertaking an equivalent course to Year 10 at a NSW TAFE, with signed approval of their parents, School Principal and the TAFE Director
  • A child who has completed Year 10 and is undertaking and approved education or training course, or is participating in paid work, to an average of 25 hours per week

1.6. In the event that a CEO System School becomes aware of a student or parent willfully not undertaking the compulsory schooling requirements, the school must inform the Catholic Education Office, prepare relevant documentation and make a notification to the DET Regional Office Manager Home School Liaison about the attendance issue.