Bush Summit 2024: Truancy on the rise, particularly among Indigenous

Truancy rates in Australia are worse than they were a decade ago, with the gap in attendance between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students widening.

Truancy rates in Australia are worse than they were a decade ago, with the gap in attendance between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students widening.

Data compiled by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority showed the 2023 national attendance rate for all students in Years 1-10 was 88.6 per cent, up from 86.5 per cent in 2022 but alarmingly lower than 92.7 per cent in 2014.

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ACARA found attendance increased with the level of a school’s socio-educational advantage, were higher among students in major cities than in remote areas, and were lower among students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.

The overall national attendance rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Years 1-10 students between 2014 and 2023 fell by 6.1 percentage points compared to 3.7 per cent for non-indigenous.

The gap in attendance between indigenous and non-indigenous students also rose in every state and territory over the 10 years, reaching in 2023 as high as 30.2 per cent in the Northern Territory and low of 6.2 per cent in Tasmania.

The latest National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy revealed Aboriginal and Torres Strait ­Islander children were failing at four times the rate of non-­Indigenous classmates.

In Queensland, the 2023 overall attendance rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander year 1 to 10 students was 79.1 per cent, up from 76.8 per in 2022, but down from 85.5 per cent in 2014.

Youths roam the streets in Queensland’s Mount Isa.

A Queensland Department of Education spokesperson said: “We deeply value the voices and culture of First Nations peoples and are continually working towards reducing barriers for all learners through targeted efforts to improve engagement, retention, academic and cultural identity, educational achievement and outcomes.”

The spokesperson said a $288 million Youth Engagement Reform package would provide further support to at-risk students.

In New South Wales, the 2023 overall attendance rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander year 1 to 10 students was 80.8 per cent, up from 77.3 per in 2022, but down from 87.5 per cent in 2014.

“Closing the educational gap is a key driver to overcome the inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said.

“We provide attendance support to our schools based on the needs of their students, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities.

“Supports include local daily attendance monitoring, training for staff, provision of resources, and targeted strategies for students at risk of disengaging with school.”

In Victoria, the 2023 overall attendance rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander year 1 to 10 students was 81 per cent, up from 79.6 per in 2022, but down from 86.8 per cent in 2014.

The Victorian Department of Education said it was partnering with Koorie communities on key reforms to improve attendance and educational outcomes for students.

“We have a range of initiatives in place to help support regular attendance of First Nations students at schools, including a Koorie Education Workforce which provides guidance to enhance cultural inclusion practices, and to support the engagement, attendance, wellbeing and achievement of Koorie learners,” a spokesperson said.

In Tasmania, the 2023 overall attendance rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander year 1 to 10 students was 80.9 per cent, up from 79.9 per in 2022, but down from 88.5 per cent in 2014.

Youths roam the streets in Queensland’s Cherbourg.

A Tasmanian Department for Education spokesperson said although the state had the best First Nations attendance rates nationally and the smallest difference between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, work would continue to close the gap

“The reasons for student absence from school are complex and often specific to the student, family and community involved,” the spokesperson said.

“We are currently undertaking consultation with Aboriginal Education Workers and First Nations students to understand non-attendance drivers and identify effective strategies.”

In South Australia, the 2023 overall attendance rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 1 to 10 students was 75 per cent, up from 72.5 per in 2022, but down from 81.1 per cent in 2014.

“School attendance is a key factor affecting the life chances of all Australians and is particularly important for Aboriginal students who have historically had lower levels of participation,” an SA Department for Education spokesperson said.

The department has seven Aboriginal Community Team Leaders and 10 services engagement officers who are based within country education offices, and work to support student attendance, wellbeing, engagement and participation in learning.

In the NT, the 2023 overall attendance rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander year 1 to 10 students was 59 per cent, up from 57.8 per in 2022, but down from 70.2 per cent in 2014.

A detailed 10-year implementation plan is still being developed amid the NT Education Engagement Strategy 2022-2031 to improve the engagement of children and young people in learning.

An NT Department of Education spokesperson said every government school had a goal and target relating to increasing student engagement.

The department said it has a regionalised Student Engagement Programs and Services team that supports schools, students, and their families to engage in education.

“This includes support with enrolment and attendance by service-based student engagement advisers who work directly with students and families across the NT to remove barriers to engagement in education, by co-ordinating access to services,” the spokesperson said.

Truancy is a national issue.

The department also said it has targeted programs to assist with student attendance, engagement, and attainment.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said $40.4 million had been invested this year to support schools in Central Australia, considered among the most disadvantaged, to improve attendance and education outcomes.

He said for the first time ever all 44 schools in Central Australia were fully funded, based on David Gonski’s Schooling Resource Standard.

“They are the first public schools in the country, outside the ACT, where we have done this. The early signs are positive,” he said.

From Term 1 data, enrolments in NT government schools increased in very remote areas, the number of those students who hadn’t attended school for more than 20 consecutive days had gone down by 88 students on average, and more local Aboriginal people, including teaching assistants, have been employed.

At Willowra, 340 km north of Alice Springs, the school principal has employed community members as Assistant Teachers and Home Liaison Officers (HLOs).

The five HLOs are representatives of each of the five main family groups, a recommendation from community consultation.

At Mount Allan School, 280km north of Alice Springs, three part-time engagement officers have been employed to collect students from homes and stay with them throughout the day to support learning in classrooms.

At Braitling Primary School in Alice Springs, 40 students have achieved 100 per cent attendance in Term 1, and one class had 96 per cent attendance for six weeks straight.