The NT Government is seeking to increase school attendance rates. Photo: NT Government.
The NT Government hopes to increase school attendance rates by holding parents accountable for their legal responsibility in sending their children to class.
The school attendance campaign will be launched across the territory online, in print, on television, on billboards and on radio to remind Territorians that failure to send children to school can result in a hefty $370 fine.
The campaign is being implemented in concert with School Attendance Officers, who engage with students and parents to identify barriers to turning up to the campus.
“The government is committed to raising school attendance across the Territory and holding parents accountable for sending their children to school every day,” Minister for Education and Training Jo Hersey said.
“I have been on regular patrols with our School Attendance Officers to see the environment they are operating in to gain an appreciation of how they go about getting kids re-engaged with schooling.
“Education is the key to a successful future, and regular attendance at school is linked to better employment opportunities and improved health and wellbeing outcomes.”
The government’s campaign announcement said 51.9 per cent of enrolled Aboriginal students were attending school, compared with an 84.3 per cent rate among non-Aboriginal students.
The government said this figure may be misleading, as children who were absent for 20 days were moved to another list of non-enrolled students, which was not included in the statistic.
Ms Hersey said the high rates of non-attendance among Aboriginal children was distressing.
“The low attendance rates among Aboriginal students are not because of an inability to access a classroom or a system that lacks appreciation for their culture,” she said.
“There are 153 schools across the Territory. We have bilingual schools, on-Country learning and amazing teachers and principals that strive to provide education in the most culturally sensitive and appropriate way possible.”
Radio ads for the campaign have been translated into Murrinh-Patha, Westside Kriol, Yolngu Matha, Warlpiri and Pintupi-Luritja to make the message as accessible as possible.
“I believe the major factor is the level of responsibility some parents have towards ensuring their children attend school,” Ms Hersey said.
