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.
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, can be included in the Census, if the student's absence was for a reason that was beyond the control of:
- the student - if the student is living independently of his or her parents or guardian; or
- otherwise - the student's parent or guardian.
In each case where a student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days and been included in the Census, there must be 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 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
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.
Examples are given of reasons for absence that are beyond the control of the student's parent/guardian, or the student (if living independently). These reasons for absence include:
- natural disasters - 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; or
- student is a competitor in an elite level sports competition.
While it is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of particularised 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. If an example states that the student can be included or counted in the Census, this 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 the student was 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 and on or before Census Day
An enrolled student whose enrolment takes place late, but before Census Day and on or before Census Day is to be included if the student has not attended 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 living independently).
Natural disasters – cyclone, bushfire, flood
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has been prevented from attending for the prescribed number of days due to a natural disaster (for example, cyclone, bushfire, flood); irrespective of whether the student has attended the school on or before Census Day.
Example - Full-time enrolment - eligible
- 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 as the flood is beyond the control of his parents.
Example - Full-time enrolment - not eligible
- Sanjay is a student who 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 as there were no other factors preventing him from attending.
Decision: Sanjay is not eligible to be counted in the Census as his non attendance was within the control of his parents.
Student transferring from a State or another non-State school
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has ‘transferred’ from another school (State or non-State), and has been prevented from attending school for the prescribed number of days, irrespective of whether the student has attended the school on or before Census Day.
Examples - Full-time - eligible
- Roger was formerly enrolled in 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 in the school. As a result of delays in moving out of the family home in Tasmania, securing a residence near the parent’s work and Roger’s school, and travelling interstate, since arriving Roger has attended all three available days of school.
Decision: Roger is eligible to be included in the Census as the time taken to move to Queensland is beyond the control of his parents.
- Tania was formerly enrolled in a State school. Excessive bullying had taken place on her return to school and 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. There is documented evidence to support the transfer decision due to the bullying.
Decision: Tania is eligible to be included in the Census as the bullying was beyond the control of her parents.
- Murdock’s parents enrolled him in a school (School A) because a place was not available in their school of choice for Murdock (School B). During the period leading up to the Census, a place becomes available at School B for which the parents promptly accept enrolment. The day on which Murdock’s parents accepted the enrolment at School B was five school days before Census Day, and he commenced attending at School B on that day.
Decision: Murdock is eligible to be included in the Census at School B as the timing around a place becoming available 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 would not be enrolled at the school on Census Day.
Example - Full-time enrolment - not eligible
- Annette was formerly enrolled in a State school in Queensland in close proximity to a non-State school. Three days out from Census Day, Annette’s parents decided to cease her enrolment in the State school and enrol her in the non-State school, whereupon she attended for all three days.
Decision: Annette is not eligible to be counted in the Census as the family’s decision to change Annette’s school enrolment was within their control.
Note: If Annette ceased enrolment at the State school as a result of bullying, this scenario would fit under student emotional and behavioural issues regarding meeting the minimum attendance requirements and ‘Beyond the control of’ test.
Student illness
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has been prevented2 from attending for the prescribed number of days due to the student’s medical condition (verified by supporting evidence, for example, record of parental contact or medical certificate); irrespective of whether the student has attended the school on or before Census Day.
2 'prevented' must be for a reason that met the 'Beyond the control of' test.Student travel (for example, holidays)
An enrolled student is not to be included if the student has not attended the school for the prescribed number of days due to planned travel (for example, holidays) during the period from the start of the school year and ending on Census Day.
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has been absent because of planned travel (for example, holidays) during the summer holidays and has been unable, due to unforeseen circumstances that met the 'Beyond the control of' test, to return as planned in order to attend the school for the prescribed number of days; irrespective of whether the student has attended the school on or before Census Day.
Examples - Full-time enrolment - eligible
- Vanessa, an enrolled student at the school, 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 on and from that day. That part of Indonesia, however, experienced a catastrophic earthquake. This prevented the family from returning home until two days before Census Day, enabling Vanessa to attend the school for those two days.
Decision: Vanessa is eligible to be included in the Census as the earthquake is beyond the control of her parents.
- Simon, an enrolled student at the school, travelled overseas with his family during the summer holidays. They planned to return home to enable Simon to attend school on the first day of Term 1. All return air flights, however, were cancelled for an extended period. This prevented the family from returning home until five days before Census Day, enabling Simon to attend the school for four days.
Decision: Simon is eligible to be included in the Census as cancellation of the flights was beyond the control of his parents.
Examples - Full-time enrolment - not eligible
- 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 economical to leave in late January and return to Australia on 18 February. This saved them thousands of dollars and meant that the family holiday could take place. 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 as the family’s decision to spend time overseas during the school term was within their control. Financial impact is not considered as meeting the ‘Beyond the control of’ test.
Examples - Full-time enrolment - not eligible, even though exemption from attendance is granted by principal
- Skye is an enrolled student 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 for her. The parents will pay the full tuition fee to the school for that six month period.
Decision: Even though Skye’s non-attendance may satisfy the exemption from attendance test under section 185A (that is, the child cannot attend the school, or it would be unreasonable in all the circumstances to require the child to attend the school), she is not eligible to be counted in the Census. The parents’ decision to travel around Australia has not met 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 (howsoever called) from attendance
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days, because the student has been suspended from attendance under a student disciplinary arrangement applying to the school.
Enrolled student is a competitor in an elite level sports competition
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days, because the student is participating in an elite level sporting competition.
An ‘elite level sports competition’ is a sporting competition at a state, national or international level.
Example - Full-time enrolment - eligible
- Brooke, an enrolled student at the school, has attended the school for five days. Brooke has been absent from school because she has been a competitor in a national junior golf competition, which has prevented her from meeting the 11 days of attendance required for inclusion on the school’s Census
Decision: Brooke is eligible to be included in the Census as the junior golf competition is a national elite level sports competition, the scheduling of which is beyond the control of her parents.
Student emotional and behavioural issues
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days, but the student has been absent because of the student’s emotional issues or behaviour, or both, provided that an officer of the school has been actively and consistently working with the student to facilitate the student’s attendance.
Example - Full-time enrolment - eligible
- Nathan is a student at a special assistance school. He was previously enrolled at the nearby State school, but behavioural issues led to him being excluded. His attendance at the special assistance school has been erratic since he started there at the beginning of the school year. The school has been contacting the home by phone and email, and has visited the home in an attempt to get him to attend regularly. The school has kept records of every attempted contact.
Decision: Nathan is eligible to be included in the Census as the school has actively and consistently worked with him, and has kept records of all of their activity.
See 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
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has been prevented from attending for the prescribed number of days because of the death of, or physical or mental illness of (as verified by, for example, a parent/guardian), a member of the student’s immediate family (such as a parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling); irrespective of whether the student has attended the school on or before Census Day.
Family reasons
An enrolled student is to be included 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 living independently). This includes, but is not limited to, child safety, domestic violence, custody or legal matters.
An enrolled student is not to be included 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 living independently).
Pandemic
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days due to a health direction relating to COVID-19 preventing the student from attending the school.
An enrolled student is to be included if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days due to the student or an immediate family member that the student lives with being considered at risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
An enrolled student is not to be included if the student has attended the school for less than the prescribed number of days due to being absent by choice and not because of a health direction or at-risk reason.
>> Appendix 3
Last updated 31 January, 2023