Every Day Counts

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your teenager’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind. 

Why it’s important

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.    Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.  Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE & VM and just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students and lead to social isolation.  There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes.  Each missed day is associated with falling behind in subject topics and assessment tasks and leads to fewer subject choices and may impact on achievement in Years 11 and 12 and post-school pathways. 

Getting in early

It’s never too late to improve attendance. Even in the middle years, when school can seem the most challenging for students and when attendance rates can be at their lowest,  going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts.   Schools are there to help – if you’re having attendance issues with your child, speak to your school about ways to address those issues.

Being away from school for 1 day a fortnight equals missing 1.5 years over 13 years of school.

If for any reason your teenager must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

• Approve your child's absence via Compass or inform the school via the Attendance Officer. 
• Speak to your child's Year Level Liaison.
• Find out what work your student needs to do to keep up.
• Develop an absence learning plan with your child’s teachers and ensure they complete the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your teenager must miss school, speak with your Year Level Liaison as early as possible.     Openly communicating with your teenager’s school about all absences is a good way to prevent attendance issues being escalated. Chronic or ongoing attendance issues that are escalated can lead to an Infringement Notice being issued to parent/s.

In Victoria, school is compulsory for children and young people ages 6 – 17 years.

Top attendance tips for parents

• Schools want to work in partnership with parents – act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s school and asking for advice and support
• Remember that every day counts
• There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness
• Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day
• Open and prompt communication with your child’s school about all absences is a good idea 
• Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term
• Seek help from your school if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. Schools want to work in partnership with parents to support student attendance and wellbeing.