Brisbane students skipped more than 2.6 million school days last year

Students missed more than 2.6 million school days last year at Brisbane government primary and high schools, as a result of sickness, school refusal and parents taking their children on holidays during the term.

That averages to almost 19 school days – or four weeks – per child.

Analysis by Brisbane Times of individual school annual reports can reveal the attendance rate at every state primary and secondary school in the city for the past three years.

Children at Brisbane schools are missing out on weeks in the classroom every year.Credit: iStock

Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association acting president Kirsten Ferdinands said COVID-19 taught people to stay home when unwell, while school refusal could be an issue, including for students with mental health or anxiety issues, but educators worked “tirelessly” with families to support their return.

Ferdinands said some families booked trips during the school term to get better deals or see relatives overseas after years of travel restrictions, and asked to learn online.

At Zillmere State School, the overall attendance rate was 79 per cent, meaning students missed almost 41 days – or eight weeks – of the 2023 school year’s 195 days, on average, while the rate was 80 per cent at Sunnybank State High and 81 per cent at Coorparoo Secondary College.

The Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology, a selective-entry state high school in Toowong, had Brisbane’s best attendance rate at 96 per cent.

Attendance at most Brisbane schools was lower in 2023 than in 2021, but last year’s data shows an improvement on 2022, when COVID-19 and other sicknesses hit Queensland hard as borders reopened.

Attendance rates have not recovered to pre-pandemic rates.

University of Queensland education expert Professor Robyn Gillies said absenteeism could be due to bullying, while school refusal could even arise in the youngest students.

“They get quite excited about coming to school, and then after the first term, we’d have a stack of kids not wanting to continue,” she said.

An education department spokeswoman said schools provided early interventions for at-risk students.

“The COVID pandemic impacted attendance rates across Australia and internationally,” she said.

“In 2022 and 2023, illness and medical appointments were recorded as the most common reasons for student absences in state schools.

“Disrupting student learning and taking holidays during the school term is strongly discouraged.”

The Queensland attendance rate was 87.1 per cent last year, up from 85.6 per cent in 2022.

Research shows poor attendance is associated with lower academic achievement, leaving school early, further absenteeism in higher year levels and increased alcohol, tobacco and substance use in adolescents.

Parents are legally required to ensure their child attends school on all school days, unless there is a reasonable excuse, but the department did not refer any cases to police for prosecution in Brisbane in 2023.

“Prosecution occurs only when parents fail to respond to the offered assistance and support and continue to fail to meet their obligations,” a department spokeswoman said.

Reasons for absences are recorded in categories, including illness and medical appointments, family reasons, unauthorised, disciplinary, sorry business and holiday.