Appendix 2 - Further guidelines - attendance
Attending the school for less than the prescribed number of days between the start of the school year and ending on Census Day.
Overview
A student (whether full time or part time) must be enrolled at the school.
You can include in the Census a student who has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days between the first day that students are to attend the school at the start of the school year and ending on Census Day, if the student’s absence was for a reason that was beyond the control of:
- the student - if the student is living independently of their parents or guardian, or
- otherwise - the student's parent or guardian.
If you have included any student in the Census who has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days, you must have documented evidence confirming the reasons preventing the student from attending the school during this period.
Documentation detailing the explanation of the absence and confirming that the absence was beyond the control of the student’s parents or guardians, or the student, if they are living independently, must be retained by the school/governing body for a period of five years from Census Day, and in a way that ensures the integrity and security of the data and documents.
Non-exhaustive list of examples regarding attendance
Below are some examples to assist governing bodies to accurately complete the Census form.
The examples include situations where a student’s enrolment takes place after 11 days prior to Census Day and on or before Census Day.
These examples are reasons for absence beyond the control of the student’s parent/guardian, or the student (if they are living independently):
- natural disasters (e.g. cyclone, bushfire, flood)
- student's illness
- death or illness of a member of the student's immediate family (such as a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling)
- funeral customs within the student's community
- student is a competing in an elite level sports competition
- induction processes including diagnostic testing
- student is unable to access materials for learning
- school is unable to commence operations due to delay in construction / completion / certification
While it is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of examples to cover all contingencies in schools, the following provides some guidance in situations which arise from time to time.
Multiple examples or circumstances may apply during the relevant period for a student. An example stating that the student can be included or counted in the Census refers to the days that can be counted towards attendance for that example only. Overall, the student may still not be eligible if the days that they were attending the school plus the absences that were beyond the control do not add up to 11 or more.
Student is enrolled after late, but before Census Day
You should include an enrolled student whose enrolment takes place late, but before Census Day, if the student did not attend the school for the prescribed number of days and if the student's absence was for a reason that was beyond the control of the student’s parent, or the student (if they are living independently).
Natural disasters – cyclone, bushfire, flood
You should include an enrolled student if the student could not attend school4 for the prescribed number of days due to a natural disaster (for example, cyclone, bushfire, flood), even if the student has not attended the school on or before Census Day.
Example: Full-time enrolment - eligible
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Peter, an enrolled student, lives 15 kilometres from his school. He has been unable to travel to school because the roads to his home residence are covered by floodwaters too deep to drive through. Other modes of travel are impractical. Peter has been able to attend the school for only two days before Census Day.
Decision: Peter is eligible to be included in the Census because the flood is beyond the control of his parents.
Example: Full-time enrolment - not eligible
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Sanjay is enrolled at a non-state school on the first day of the first term. He lives 20 kilometres from the school and has been unable to attend for three days because of a cyclone, during which it would have been unsafe to travel. Sanjay’s total attendance for the period before the Census was four days, and he could have easily travelled on other days. There were no other factors preventing him from attending.
Decision: Sanjay is not eligible to be counted in the Census because his non-attendance was within the control of his parents.
Student transferring from a state, another non-state school or home education
You should include an enrolled student if the student has transferred from another school (state or non-state) or home education and has not been able to4 attend school for the prescribed number of days, even if the student has not attended the school before or on Census Day.
Examples: Full-time - eligible
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Roger was previously enrolled at a government school in Tasmania. One of his parents has been unexpectedly transferred over the summer holidays to Queensland. Over the holidays, they enrolled Roger at the school. Because of delays in moving out of the family home in Tasmania, finding a home near the parent’s work and Roger’s school, and travelling interstate, Roger has attended three available days of school since arriving.
Decision: Roger is eligible to be included in the Census because the time it took to move to Queensland was beyond the control of his parents.
- Tania was previously enrolled at a state school, but she experienced excessive bullying at the beginning of the school term. After seeking advice from the school’s counsellors, Tania’s parents agreed she should transfer to another school. Tania was enrolled at the new school only two days before Census Day and therefore did not attend the required 11 days. The school has documented evidence to support the transfer decision due to bullying.
Decision: Tania is eligible to be included in the Census because the bullying was beyond the control of her parents.
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Murdock’s parents enrolled him at a school (School A) because a place was not available at their school of choice (School B). During the days before the Census, a place became available at School B, and the parents immediately enrolled Murdock at this school. The day that Murdock’s parents accept the enrolment at School B is five school days before Census Day, and he starts attending School B on that day.
Decision: Murdock is eligible to be included in the Census at School B because the timing of his enrolment and attendance at the school of choice was beyond the control of his parents.
Note: If school A is a non-state school, Murdock cannot be included on the Census for School A because he was not enrolled at School A on Census Day.
Example: Full-time enrolment - not eligible
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Annette was previously enrolled at a state school in Queensland very close to a non-state school. Three days before Census Day, Annette’s parents decide to end her enrolment at the state school and enrol her at the non-state school instead, which she attends for all three days.
Decision: Annette is not eligible to be counted in the Census because the family’s decision to change Annette’s school enrolment was within their control.
Note: If Annette stopped being enrolled at the state school because of bullying, this scenario would fit under student emotional and behavioural issues regarding meeting the minimum attendance requirements and the ‘Beyond the control of’ test.
Student illness
You should include an enrolled student if the student is unable4 to attend school for the prescribed number of days due to a medical condition (verified by supporting evidence, for example, record of parental contact or medical certificate), even if the student has not attended the school on or before Census Day.
Student travel (for example, holidays)
You should not include an enrolled student if the student has not attended the school for the prescribed number of days due to planned travel (for example, holidays) from the start of the school year to Census Day.
However, you should include an enrolled student if the student has been absent because of planned travel (for example, holidays) during the summer holidays and has not been able, due to unforeseen circumstances5, to return as planned so they can attend school for the prescribed number of days, even if the student has not attended the school on or before Census Day.
Examples: Full-time enrolment - eligible
- Vanessa is a student enrolled at the school. She travelled with her family to a remote part of Indonesia over the summer holidays. The family planned to return home on the third day of the first school term, so that Vanessa could attend school from that day onwards. However, that part of Indonesia experienced a catastrophic earthquake. The earthquake prevented the family from returning home until two days before Census Day, which meant that Vanessa was able to attend the school for those two days only.
Decision: Vanessa is eligible to be included in the Census because the earthquake was beyond the control of her parents.
- Simon is a student enrolled at the school. He travelled overseas with his family during the summer holidays. They planned to return home so that Simon could attend school on the first day of Term 1. However, all return air flights were cancelled for several weeks, which prevented the family from returning home until five days before Census Day. Simon was able to attend the school for four days.
Decision: Simon is eligible to be included in the Census because the flights being cancelled was beyond the control of his parents.
Examples: Full-time enrolment - not eligible
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Suzie is currently enrolled at the school and went to California with her family over the summer holidays. Accommodation and return airfares were more than twice the price during the school holidays, so the family decided it would be more affordable to leave in late January and return to Australia on 18 February. This decision saved them thousands of dollars and meant that they could go ahead with the family holiday. The parents notified the school of the pending absence, allowing the principal to keep file notes.
Decision: Suzie is not eligible to be counted in the Census because the family’s decision to spend time overseas during the school term was within their control. Decisions based on financial impact do not meet the ‘Beyond the control of’ test.
Examples: Full-time enrolment - not eligible, even though exemption from attendance is granted by principal
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Skye is a student enrolled in Year 6 for classroom education at the school. Skye’s family has decided to travel around Australia by motorhome for six months. The school principal has granted Skye an exemption under section 185(1) of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 from attending the school. He has agreed to provide Skye’s parents with work tasks and reading lists so she can continue to study. The parents will pay the full tuition fee to the school for that six-month period.
Decision: Skye is not eligible to be included in the Census even though Skye’s non-attendance may satisfy the exemption from attendance test under section 185A. (Section 185A says that the child cannot attend the school, or it would be unreasonable in all the circumstances to require the child to attend the school). Skye is not eligible because the parents’ decision to travel around Australia does not meet the ‘Beyond the control of’ test.
Note: The Manager, Office of Non-State Education is responsible for approving any exemption for a student enrolled in a non-state school that is for more than 110 school days, or that would cause the total period of exemptions granted to exceed 110 school days in a calendar year. Further information is available at https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/pp/exemptions-from-compulsory-schooling-and-compulsory-participation-procedure
Student suspension from attendance
You should include an enrolled student if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days because they have been suspended under a student disciplinary arrangement applying to the school.
Enrolled student is competing in an elite level sports competition
You should include an enrolled student if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days because they are participating in an elite-level sporting competition.
An elite-level sporting competition is a sporting competition at a state, national or international level.
Example - Full-time enrolment - eligible
- Brooke is a student enrolled at the school. She has attended the school for five days but has been absent because she is competing in a national junior golf competition. Competing at this time has prevented her from meeting the 11 days of attendance required for her to be included in the school’s Census.
Decision: Brooke is eligible to be included in the Census because the junior golf competition is a national elite-level sporting competition, and the scheduling is beyond the control of her parents.
Student emotional and behavioural issues
You should include an enrolled student if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days, but they have been absent because of the student’s emotional issues or behaviour (or both). However, an officer of the school must be actively and consistently working with the student to encourage them to attend.
Example - Full-time enrolment - eligible
- Nathan is a student at a special assistance school. He was previously enrolled at the nearby state school, but he ended up being excluded because of behavioural issues. Since starting at the special assistance school at the beginning of the school year, Nathan’s attendance has been erratic. The school has been contacting the home by phone and email, and staff have visited the home to encourage Nathan to attend school more regularly. The school has kept records of every time they tried to contact the family.
Decision: Nathan is eligible to be included in the Census because the school has actively and consistently worked with him, and staff have kept records of all of their activity.
See also Tania's scenario under transfers for an example related to student bullying and applying the 'Beyond the control of' test.
Death of, or physical or mental illness of, a member of the student’s immediate family
You should include an enrolled student if the student has not been able to attend6 for the prescribed number of days because of the illness or death of a member of the student’s immediate family (such as a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling). The mental or physical illness, or the death, of the family member must be substantiated (for example, by a parent/guardian). You should include the enrolled student even if the student has not attended the school on or before Census Day.
Family reasons
You should include an enrolled student if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days due to family reasons that were beyond the control of the parent or guardian, or the student (if they are living independently). Some of these reasons include child safety, domestic violence, custody or legal matters.
You should not include an enrolled student if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days due to family reasons that were within the control of the parent or guardian, or the student (if they are living independently).
Delay in construction / completion / certification of the school
You should include an enrolled student if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days because the school is a new site and has been unable to commence operations due to a delay in construction / completion / certification of the school.
Example - Full-time enrolment - eligible
- Olivia is a student enrolled at a new school. Due to a delay in the contractors obtaining materials, the planned building works were not completed on time. This meant that the school did not commence operations until five days before Census Day and meant Olivia was only able to attend the school for those five days.
Decision: Olivia is eligible to be included in the Census because the delay in the construction of the school was beyond the control of her parents.
4 must be for a reason that met the ‘Beyond the control of’ test
5 'Unforeseen circumstances’ must be for a reason that meets the ‘Beyond the control of’ test.
6 must be for a reason that met the ‘Beyond the control of’ test
>> Appendix 3
Last updated 3 February, 2025