Truancy persists despite suicide alert

High truancy rates persist in WA despite a coroner linking the problem to suicide almost eight years ago.

There has been no marked improvement in the low rates of school attendance among Aboriginal children in Western Australia since former state coroner Alastair Hope linked truancy to suicide and recommended a more forceful approach almost eight years ago, an inquest into the suicides of 13 indigenous young people has been told.

One of the WA Education Department’s most senior bureaucrats, Lindsay Hale, yesterday outlined a succession of programs that he conceded had failed to make a significant difference to school attendance rates. Truancy among indigenous children has fallen slightly since 2014 but their overall attendance remains only 67 per cent compared to 92.1 per cent for non-Aboriginal children.

The inquest has heard that almost all of the 13 children and young people who died by suicide in the Kimberley between 2012 and 2016 had been absent from school frequently. It is among factors that most or all had in common, including chaotic home lives blighted by domestic violence and alcohol abuse.

Most of the 13 had been passed around among relatives, almost all had been underweight or sickly babies and there was evidence six had been sexually abused.

Mr Hale gave evidence about the statewide trial of KindyLink, a program for children aged three and under designed to encourage early good feelings about school.

In remote communities, schools catered for kindergarten to Year 12 but teens may not want to associate with young children. “If you are a young woman or man, it would be very hard to see how you would belong in what, in your mind, is probably a place for little kids,” Mr Hale said.

Such schools were trying hard to appeal to teens who saw themselves as adults, but reasons for low attendance were more complex. “Many of the things that impact on school attendance are beyond the control of schools,” Mr Hale told the inquest.

Coroner Ros Fogliani read from the 2010 finding of her predecessor Mr Hope, who linked the chronic and long-term truancy of four young men from Balgo and their suicides.

“Their increasing truancy was an early indicator that their lives were taking a negative turn; poor results clearly impacted adversely on self-worth and confidence and increased personal vulnerability,” Mr Hope had said.

He recommended a crackdown on parents of truants. Since then, a program has been introduced to reward Kimberley parents with better housing if they get a job and their children have high attendance records.

But Gallop Labor government legislation to fine the parents of truants has been repealed.

If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide call Lifeline (13 11 14) or the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467), or see a doctor.