FINDING FROM A NEW SURVEY ON AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Victorian Parents Council are pleased to share the results of a collaborative study exploring parent and school staff views on school attendance conducted by researchers at Deakin University, University of Melbourne, and Australian Catholic University together with VPC. The study was conducted in 2023 and 2024 and surveyed 167 parents/caregivers and 69 school staff from across Australia about their views and experiences of school attendance and school attendance difficulties.
School attendance has become a pressing community issue with school attendance rates declining after the Covid-19 pandemic and failing to return to pre-pandemic levels. Understanding community needs around school attendance can help guide the development of appropriate supports for children, families and schools.
Parents/caregivers of school aged-children provided responses about their views and experiences of school attendance with their child, regardless of whether their child had experienced difficulties attending school or not. Between 19 and 29% of parents reported instances where their child had difficulty attending school, including pleading to stay home, misbehaving in the morning when it was time to get ready for school, and becoming upset or distressed because they didn’t want to go to school. Crucially, 50% of parents reported that they did not have the support they needed to help their child through their difficulties with school attendance.
Just over half of school staff reported feeling confident in their ability to support students and their families who are experiencing school attendance difficulties, or knowing what external supports and services are available to direct families to. However, overwhelmingly, school staff reported a willingness to learn more about how to support students and their families and a desire to receive specific training in how to do this.
The findings of the survey further aid in our understanding of the challenges experienced by families and schools in relation to school attendance, the gaps in the availability and accessibility of supports and services, and further, what supports families and schools are looking for. We aim to continue to collaborate on future surveys investigating school attendance in Australia to further understanding and development of support for young people and their families who need them.
Do you want to contribute to the development of resources for families and schools who are experiencing school attendance difficulties?
VPC is working with researchers, clinicians and parents of young people with school attendance challenges in Victoria on a new school attendance initiative.
Ask us anything.
We aim to include information related to as many questions as we can in a new Deakin University-led school attendance website for Australian families and schools. Submit your questions by Monday 20th Oct 2025: https://cutt.ly/NrYHNSvo
