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School Attendance

Section 23 of the School Education Act 1999 requires a student to attend the school at which he or she is enrolled or otherwise to participate in an educational program of the school whether at the school or elsewhere. Section 24 of the Act provides for arrangements alternative to attendance.

Students who do not attend school regularly must be case-managed, and encouraged and supported to resume regular school attendance. The Act provides for persistent breaches of Section 23 to be referred to a School Attendance Panel and, ultimately, to prosecution of the child’s parent in a court.

For guidance to the management of attendance issues please refer to Improving Attendance:  A Resource Package for Schools, sent to all schools in Term 2, 2006.  Additional advice and assistance for case-management of students with attendance issues can be obtained from each Department of Education and Training District Education Office:

• For K-10 students - contact the Attendance Coordinator.
• For students 16 years and over - contact the Participation Coordinator.

Contact details for each District Education Office can be obtained from: http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/districts/index.htm

Further information about managing attendance issues can be located on the Department of Education and Training’s website at: http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/administrators.asp (locate the Regulatory Framework System and search under the keyword “attendance”).