Friday fail: New figures show tens of thousands of students skipping school in NSW

Experts say parents continuing to work from home is making it harder for them to force their kids to go to school, as attendance rates in the classroom plummet.

Tens of thousands of students are refusing to go to school on Fridays, in an alarming post-pandemic trend that has education officials struggling to find answers.

The end-of-week absence rate has soared so high since the pandemic that schools are using tactics such as running competitions, offering football tickets, or inviting celebrities to speak with students on the importance of attendance.

Some teaching staff believe the rise in parents working from home may also be sending the wrong message.

Both the principals association and teachers union also say chronic staff shortages leading to merged classes and rotating casuals was also a key contributing factor.

A department analysis of attendance rates supplied to The Saturday Telegraph shows the Friday attendance rate last year — or the number of days attended by the 795,000 students enrolled in public primary and high schools — was just under 83 per cent, the lowest of the week.

Sydney Kings basketball coach Daniel Kickert talks about the importance of attending schools with Vipra Jethwa (left) and Emma Humphreys, both 12, at Rouse Hill High. Picture: Christian Gilles

The overall attendance rate for other days last year was just under 86 per cent on Mondays and just under 87 per cent on the other days.

Term 2 of last year recorded the worst Friday attendance at 81 per cent.

“Terms 1-3 attendance rates tend to decline as the term progresses, with a sharp decrease in the last weeks of term,” the analysis said.

School refusal is separate from truanting, with many parents battling to get their teenagers to go to school.

NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos blamed staff shortages for rising student disengagement.

“Every day thousands of students are left in playgrounds, school halls or libraries under minimal supervision due to the shortages,” he said.

“Students, particularly those kids who are already experiencing difficulties and are somewhat disengaged, don’t see much value turning up to school only to face the prospect of minimal supervision again and again and again.”

What schools are doing to get kids back in class.

The refusal of students going to school is not restricted to NSW, with a Senate inquiry recently hearing evidence of thousands of students failing to turn up to class across Australia

In a submission to the inquiry, the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta said schools needed to be properly resourced to support — rather than punish — young people.

“Resourcing for supporting school attendance is constrained to an administrative process (e.g. sending letters to parents),” it said.

“The result is that the school refusal continues to manifest, becoming intractable as it is not properly understood.”

NSW Secondary Principals Council and NSW Teachers president Craig Petersen said parents working from home may also be a factor.

“Attendance has been impacted by Covid and being at home, but also exacerbated by parents working from home,” he said.

Schools that have lifted attendance rates include Punchbowl Boys High, which re-engaged students who went to work during the 16-week lockdown.

The school has a reward system where students attending 90 per cent of the time are given football tickets, excursions and camps.