Education Minister Blair Boyer reveals parents on notice for failing to send kids to school

Scores of parents have been put on notice for not getting their kids to school – but just three families have been referred for potential prosecution.

Parents of almost 40 young people who are chronically absent from school are “under close scrutiny” from education authorities, and could face prosecution if they don’t get their children to class.

Education Minister Blair Boyer has revealed that 25 families, including 39 children, have been put on notice by his department.

This is in addition to three cases, involving five children, referred to government lawyers for advice on prosecution.

Another three cases which were being considered for prosecution have since been dropped because the children returned to school, or the family moved interstate.

It comes as Education Department boss Martin Westwell has warned he is concerned about a drop in overall attendance in public schools.

Education Minister Blair Boyer has revealed that 25 families, including 39 children, have been put on notice by his department Picture: NCA NewsWire/Naomi Jellicoe

Education Department boss Martin Westwell has warned he is concerned about a drop in overall attendance in public schools. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Professor Westwell told parliament on Wednesday the attendance rate in 2022 was 84.5 per cent, compared to remaining “pretty steady between 90 and 91 per cent” between 2010 and 2019 – before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

“This is something we are really concerned about,” he said, although noted there were “some early signs” of improvement in 2023.

No South Australian parent has been prosecuted for failing to send their child to school in at least five years.

If the three cases being considered proceed to court, those parents face a fine of up to $5000.

Mr Boyer said he was “not asking the department to be out there prosecuting people willy-nilly” but wanted to send a message to parents who were actively preventing their children from attending school.

“If we have … the ability to prosecute parents who are actually playing an active, deliberate role in preventing their kids from going to school and politicians like myself go out and talk about it but then we never use it, people wise up really fast and realise that it is a paper tiger and is never going to be used,” Mr Boyer said.

“In those cases I want the (law) to be used to take appropriate action against them, but also to make it clear to others out there who might be contemplating similar action to know that we are prepared to use it.”

Mr Boyer said in some cases the prospect of court action was enough for parents to change.

“All of a sudden behaviour changes and the kid comes to school. That is the best outcome,” he said.

Opposition education spokesman John Gardner said prosecution should be used in cases where

parents are “making no effort to get their kids back to school”.

Mr Gardner, who questioned Mr Boyer about the issue during budget estimates hearings in parliament, said the Education Department should be “applying the blowtorch of scrutiny to them, ensuring that they’re participating actively in education family conferences, and if they don’t then they should be prosecuted”.

The state government employs 34 school truancy officers who are tasked with trying to engage parents and offer solutions to get children back to the classroom or online learning.

If a child is absent for 10 days or more in a term it is considered “chronic non-attendance”.