National Trend of School Refusal and Related Matters Senate Report
School refusal Senate report recommendations good news for parents and families
In October 2022 the Greens called for a Senate inquiry into the rise in school refusal, also known as school can't, school phobia, school avoidance, attendance anxiety, and/or emotionally based school avoidance.
The final report was released on 10 August this year, and makes 14 recommendations to address this concerning situation, which schools and families are struggling with, including research, a national action plan, subsidised student mental health appointments and embedding of school refusal training into relevant tertiary education courses.
The Committee proposed that the following are all needed to assist schools and families to ensure school attendance for all students:
- Improving awareness and understanding of school refusal
- Early identification of school refusal and evidence-based interventions
- A national approach to school refusal
- Increasing the focus on student wellbeing in schools
- Improving cross-sector collaboration
- Improving support for parents