Newman Remote School Attendance

The Remote School Attendance Strategy is about school attendance officers working with schools, families, parents, and community organisations to ensure all children go to school every day. 

What outcomes is the program trying to achieve? 

Getting children to school is the Government’s number one priority for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. That’s because going to school and being at school every day gives every child the best chance for a good start in life. 

School attendance teams work closely with teachers, parents and the community to develop a community plan to identify ways to ensure all children in the community go to school every day. 

They can help with things like: 

• Talking to children and families about the importance of regular school attendance. 
• Working with families where children are not attending school to find out why and what can be done to help them get there. 
• Providing practical support like driving children to school or helping to organise school lunches, uniforms, homework and after-school care. 
• Working with the school to monitor attendance and follow up on student absences. 
• Celebrating and rewarding improved attendance. 

All school attendance team members will obtain working-with-children checks and participate in work-related learning activities.

How is the program funded? 

Australian Government – Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet 

The Remote School Attendance Strategy works with local providers (YMCA WA in Western Australia) to employ school attendance supervisors and school attendance officers to help kids get to school.