School attendance numbers are up two years running, according to Department of Education and Training data. Photo: NT Government.
The Northern Territory Government has announced an increase in school attendance for term two of this year compared with the same period last year.
Department of Education and Training statistics show that school attendance in term two of 2026 rose by 1.2 per cent compared with 2025, bringing attendance rates to 73.8 per cent.
It is also an improvement on the same period in 2024, which the government says indicates its policies’ success.
The regions of Barkly, Central and Big Rivers all recorded increased attendance, at 2.6, 2.2 and 1.8 per cent respectively. These regions also recorded a reduction in the number of students on the intensive support roll from term one of this year.
“School attendance rates have started to bounce back, but we still have more work to do,” Minister for Education and Training Jo Hersey said.
“Every child, no matter where they are in the Territory, has the right to a quality education.
“School attendance is everyone’s responsibility. Parents are starting to hear the message, the School Attendance Officers are doing a great job on the beat, and our schools are properly funded with record-low teacher vacancies under the Better Fairer Schools Agreement.”
Attendance Officers working with families and students are just one part of the overall strategy aimed at boosting school attendance rates.
Other measures designed to keep children engaged in the classroom include:
- Use of “explicit teaching” to boost literacy and numeracy.
- Placing Aboriginal Liaison Officers in schools.
- Creating new Trade Technical Colleges by phasing out middle schools.
- Attracting and keeping more teachers by moving more onto permanent contracts.
- Investing $732 million through the school funding model for this year, an increase from last year of $46 million.
- Bringing counsellors back to schools.
The School Attendance Team working for the Department of Education has so far issued 1155 compliance notices and 269 fines, and made 155 referrals for income management. Of those 155, the Commonwealth has accepted 98.
The government’s statistics can be found here.
