SA Education Department preparing case for court as parents warned to make sure their children go to school

Scores of parents have been put on notice to get their kids to school - and now one family could even be headed to court.

Parents of 47 students who are continually skipping school have been put on notice by education authorities, including the first case in years which could be headed to court.

Education Minister Blair Boyer said the “threat of prosecution” had encouraged some families to get chronically absent children back in the classroom.

But in the most worrying case the Education Department is now pulling together evidence for a court case, he said.

If the case proceeds it will be the first attempt at prosecution in six years.

Education Minister Blair Boyer is warning parents to get their kids to school. NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Another two cases are being considered by the department for prosecution.

“The damaging effects of regularly missing school cannot be understated,” Mr Boyer said.

“Sometimes the only thing that will ensure parents take their kids to school, which is where they need to be, is the threat of prosecution.

“I’ve been clear from day one I won’t hesitate to use all the tools available to me to ensure that happens.”

As of January 16, there were 28 cases - involving 47 young people - that Mr Boyer’s department was either closely monitoring or considering for prosecution.

In another 10 cases absent students had returned to their school, a new school or an alternative learning program.

Mr Boyer did not give details about the children involved, such as their age or how much school they had missed.

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

Parents who fail to send their children to school face a fine of up to $5000, which was increased from $500 in 2020.

In a bid to tackle truancy a new Attendance Directorate within the Education Department, staffed by social workers and support officers, has begun rolling out new initiatives in schools.

These include a 12-month Attendance Outreach pilot program working with certain schools to identify and locate chronically absent students.

The government is also launching a trial in 10 primary schools to crack down on truancy and improve attendance.

The sites involved - which have varying attendance rates - are Mount Barker South Primary School, Challa Gardens Primary School, Victor Harbor Primary School, Salisbury Downs Primary School, Playford Primary School, Evanston Gardens Primary School, Riverdale Primary School, Murray Bridge South Primary School, Aldinga Beach Primary School and John Hartley B-6.

Mr Boyer said latest data showed the attendance rate across publicschools had risen from 84.5 per cent in 2022 to 86.3 per cent last year.

While he was pleased at the slight improvement Mr Boyer noted attendance levels - in SA and nationally - remain lower than before the Covid-19 pandemic.