Schools in Western Australia's country towns and cities are grappling with the nation's lowest student attendance rates, according to new national data released this week. The figures show a worrying trend of more children skipping the classroom across the state's inner and outer regional areas.
A Statewide Concern in Regional Centres
Data published on Wednesday by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) indicates that while Australia saw a slight overall improvement, WA's regional performance is lagging significantly. The statistics compare location types across the country, placing WA at the bottom for attendance in both inner and outer regional zones, which encompass towns like Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Australind, Albany, and Denmark.
Kevin Brady, president of the Regional Principals Association, confirmed the data reflects the daily reality for educators. "Since COVID, we’re seeing a lot more school refusal," he said. "It’s happening universally... school refusal is far higher now than it was five years ago." He noted that while the issue is widespread, its specific impact on regional figures compared to metropolitan areas is complex.
The Hard Numbers: WA Lags Behind
The national regular student attendance rate for Years 1 to 10 rose to 88.8 per cent in the first half of this year, up from 88.3 per cent in 2024. A student is considered a regular attender if they are at school more than 90 per cent of the time, a benchmark met by 62 per cent of Australian students.
However, a state-by-state breakdown reveals WA's struggle:
- WA's overall attendance rate was 88.3 per cent, the third-lowest nationally, ahead of only Tasmania (87.3%) and the Northern Territory (76.9%).
- In inner regional schools, WA recorded the country's lowest rate at 86.9 per cent, down from 87.4 per cent last year.
- For outer regional schools, WA also ranked last with just 84.7 per cent attendance, a drop from 85.2 per cent.
The data further shows that only just over half of WA's regional students attended school more than 90 per cent of the time. This compares to 48.6 per cent in remote schools and a stark 27.8 per cent in very remote schools. In contrast, attendance in WA's major cities was on par with other states at 89.6 per cent.
Root Causes and Systemic Challenges
Mr Brady emphasised that while schools work tirelessly to foster positive student-teacher relationships, many factors driving absenteeism are beyond the school gate. "Community factors, inter-generational poverty, trauma-affected communities have a massive impact on attendance in schools," he explained.
The updated attendance figures are now available on ACARA's MySchool website. Stephen Gniel, ACARA's chief executive, described the national uptick as encouraging but stressed the need for ongoing focus. "This is showing student attendance heading in the right direction, while also reinforcing the need for continued focus and prioritisation," he said.
The persistent decline in regional WA highlights a critical challenge for the state's education system, underscoring the complex social and economic barriers facing country students and their families in the wake of the pandemic.
