WA schools fail on attendance and lag behind other major states, but not a single parent has been fined

Not a single parent has been fined for failing to send their kids to school despite WA again recording the worst attendance rates of all the mainland states. Education Minister Sabine Winton has blamed Covid and argued the problem is not “simplistic” in remote areas in the Kimberley, as she hit back at the Opposition’s suggestion it is “somehow the Government’s fault”. School attendance rates for years 7-10 in WA have fallen from 89.9 per cent in 2016 to 85.8 per cent in 2025, according to the Productivity Commission’s latest Report on Government Services. That’s a slight improvement on the 85.6 per cent recorded in 2024, but still only better than Tasmania and the Northern Territory. “Following the significant disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, a decline in school attendance has been observed nationally,” Ms Winton said. Shadow Education Minister Liam Staltari said it amounts to more than 58,000 students are missing at least one day a week. “When attendance goes backwards, we know that students aren’t learning and that their future is being put on the line,” he said. “School is our kids’ best shot at a quality education and a good start in life. The time for excuses is long gone, it’s time for action.” He’s called for transparent targets, stronger early intervention for at-risk students and more resources for schools and families to address the root causes of chronic non-attendance. In Parliament last week, Minister Winton said the Government is already doing what it can. “Only on Monday I was in the Kimberley. . . to announce another significant investment in local communities to support children and families in terms of school readiness,” she said. “It is a complex area that schools and communities deal with, and I really find the way that (Mr Staltari) paints it in a simplistic way quite offensive. “Programs like KindiLink and the Kimberley Schools Project are directly focused on providing a stable environment for schools to engage with students.” Asked whether parents need to take more responsibility, Planning Minister John Carey said “everyone” needs to. “I understand certainly that there can be a range of complex issues in the family, but I think we all need to take responsibility to lift school attendance,” he said. Parents are required to provide a valid reason for absences within three days and can face fines of up to $1000 for failing to ensure their child attends, according to section 23 of the School Attendance Act 1999. But answers tabled in Parliament in response to a question from Greens MP Sophie McNeill confirmed no parents have been prosecuted in the past five years. The Government said that low attendance does not “by itself” form grounds for a report of neglect to automatically trigger an investigation by the Department of Child Protection, but can be an indicator. Mr Staltari wasn’t pushing for fines, but said more support is needed to get kids to class. “We need more targeted supports to help families in the Kimberley, more investment in wraparound community services. . . and a focus on some of the underlying social challenges,” he said. Ms Winton said more support is being provided. “Our Government recognises that a range of complex factors can make regular school attendance challenging for some students and families,” she said. “Rather than punitive measures against parents, my expectation is that schools work collaboratively with parents and carers to understand the circumstances affecting attendance and provide appropriate support.”