Calls for long-term plan to address Tasmania's 'concerning' school attendance level

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Like other states, Tasmania's school attendance level has dropped considerably since 2019. There are calls for a long-term strategy to ensure educational outcomes improve.

Transcript

00:00It's a busy morning at Riverside High. The Launceston school has been chosen to host

00:08the launch of a free breakfast program being rolled out across Tasmanian schools. It's

00:13one of several initiatives aimed at improving the state's educational outcomes, including

00:18attendance levels.

00:19So what we're trying to do is first and foremost make sure we get children to school because

00:24every single school day matters.

00:27Last year, only 53.7% of year one to 10 students at Tasmanian government schools had an attendance

00:34rate of at least 90%. In 2019, it was almost 70%. Attendance rates at non-government schools

00:41have dropped 12% from pre-COVID levels.

00:44Cost of living has changed. Housing has changed. All of these issues in our society have become

00:51more complex.

00:52It's widely thought those growing struggles are directly impacting school attendance.

00:57They all work together to influence the factors that can make it more difficult for a young

01:04person and their family to get to school on any given day.

01:08Leanne McLean has welcomed the government's recent steps but says a long-term strategy is

01:13desperately needed.

01:15What we don't have yet in Tasmania and what we need is an overarching plan that is agreed

01:22by all of the stakeholders in the system.

01:24The Department of Education says attendance is being prioritised at schools across Tasmania

01:30and here at St Leonard's Primary near Launceston, staff are working hard to ensure children feel

01:35safe and welcome in the classroom and in the playground.

01:38But the efforts of teachers and principals alone might not result in major improvements.

01:43We need to really think about how we connect with children

01:47and families to understand what is going on.

01:50A call to action to support the future generations.

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