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Community partnerships helping to improve school attendance

04 August 2015
Children and Schooling
Indigenous man leaning up against a white van with buildings in the background.

In Coober Pedy, school attendance rates have increased thanks to the community working together.

Remote communities around Australia are looking at ways to boost school attendance, and in Coober Pedy the local community has found that success has come from working together.

Situated in the far north of South Australia, Coober Pedy School had been facing poor attendance levels for years, leading the school to search for ways to ensure kids were going to school every day. 

As School Attendance Supervisor Gary Crombie reveals, the answer was right in front of them.

“We realised that we had to work with parents,” Gary said.

“It started off slow but once the parents figured out we were there to help them, they joined with us and gave us ideas to improve attendance.”

Now when kids get off the school bus they start the day with a healthy protein breakfast thanks to the School Attendance Team and parents and carers who come in every day to help prepare meals.

Community partnerships like these have become an important part of the Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS), the Australian Government’s plan to increase attendance in remote schools so all children get a good education.

Local parent and School Attendance Officer David Gilbey saw the benefits of involving parents in increasing school attendance.

“My kids weren’t going to school that much and I wanted to help them get enthusiastic about getting up and going to school every day,” David said.

“The school bus and the breakfasts have improved their attitudes to school, which is great as better education means better jobs,” he said.

School Attendance Supervisors and Officers also perform home visits to discuss with parents their child’s school attendance and attitude and gather ideas about further improvements they could make.

School Attendance Supervisor Richard Warren believes home visits are a key part of the success of the Coober Pedy strategy.

“Home visits are making a big difference in building relationships and trust with the parents and we’re seeing families become more involved in their kid’s education, which is great,” Richard said.

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Find out more

A good education is essential for a good future. Getting children to school, improving education outcomes and supporting families to give their children the best start in life is the number one priority for the Australian Government.

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