Reporting unexplained absences
22 Reporting unexplained absences
This section applies if—
a student of a State school is absent from school; and
the absence is an unexplained absence.
If the student is a child, the school’s principal must inform a parent of the student about the absence and ask the parent the reason for the absence.
Subsection (2) does not apply to the student if the principal is satisfied it would be inappropriate in the circumstances to inform a parent of the student about the absence.
Example—
It may be inappropriate to inform a parent of the student about the absence if the student is living independently of his or her parents.
The principal must ask the student the reason for the unexplained absence if—
the student is a child and subsection (2) does not apply to the student; or
the student is an adult.
The principal may report an absence to a relevant authority if—
either—
the absence is an unexplained absence; or
the absence was an unexplained absence and the principal asked the reason for the absence under subsection (2) or (4); and
the principal considers it is appropriate to do so.
In this section—
relevant authority means an entity of the State to whom it is appropriate to report an unexplained absence, including, for example, a police officer and the department in which the Child Protection Act 1999 is administered.
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