❓ The WA parliamentary question addresses truancy in schools, inquiring about existing programs, dedicated staff, and their roles. The answer outlines various strategies and acknowledges the responsibility of all teachers in managing student attendance, highlighting the role of badged attendance officers.
AnsweredQoN 443Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What programs does the Education Department currently have to tackle truancy? (2) How many people does the Education Department employ whose main job is to deal with truancy matters? (3) What are the job titles and duties for all such persons and where are those persons located? (4) Will the Minister please outline the role of any other positions within the Education Department that deal with truancy as part of their job description?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
7 August 2013
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Education
Response time
57 days
(1) Absence from school does not equate to truancy. Truants are students who are absent without authorisation from school or parents. School programs to improve attendance include attendance incentive programs, reward programs, breakfast and lunch programs for students and the development of individual and group attendance plans in partnership with parents.
The Department of Education has a range of strategies in place to support schools to monitor and manage student attendance, including:
· SMS messaging tool for schools to inform parents of student absence;
·
Operation Redirect Daytime Safe
Place
in partnership with WA Police;
·
Tri-Border Attendance Strategy;
which enables participating schools in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory to view and monitor the attendance and enrolment histories of students enrolling in their schools.
· in 2009, 40 schools with low attendance were identified to implement the Attendance Improvement Measure (AIM). In 2013, $1,738,750 in direct funding was provided to these schools; and
· in 2013, an additional $360,000 was provided to education regions to assist in addressing particular regional attendance needs, identified through analysis of local data.
Principals or their delegates must follow up with parents when a legitimate explanation for a child's absence is not provided within three school days.
(2) - (4) Every teacher in every school has a responsibility for student attendance. Schools and education regions may formally designate a staff member as a badged attendance officer. Badged attendance officers are legally authorised to stop, detain and question truanting or absent students during school hours. As at 19 July 2013, there were 283 badged attendance officers in schools, networks and regional offices.
The Department of Education has a range of strategies in place to support schools to monitor and manage student attendance, including:
· SMS messaging tool for schools to inform parents of student absence;
·
Operation Redirect Daytime Safe
Place
in partnership with WA Police;
·
Tri-Border Attendance Strategy;
which enables participating schools in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory to view and monitor the attendance and enrolment histories of students enrolling in their schools.
· in 2009, 40 schools with low attendance were identified to implement the Attendance Improvement Measure (AIM). In 2013, $1,738,750 in direct funding was provided to these schools; and
· in 2013, an additional $360,000 was provided to education regions to assist in addressing particular regional attendance needs, identified through analysis of local data.
Principals or their delegates must follow up with parents when a legitimate explanation for a child's absence is not provided within three school days.
(2) - (4) Every teacher in every school has a responsibility for student attendance. Schools and education regions may formally designate a staff member as a badged attendance officer. Badged attendance officers are legally authorised to stop, detain and question truanting or absent students during school hours. As at 19 July 2013, there were 283 badged attendance officers in schools, networks and regional offices.
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