Reframing the Attendance Crisis: Understanding and Supporting Emotionally Based School Avoidance in Australian Schools
Across the country, school attendance is under the microscope. From daily headlines to senior leadership meetings, it’s clear that absenteeism is one of the most pressing issues facing the education sector. Behind every attendance statistic, though, is a child – and a complex set of challenges that can’t be solved with quick fixes or blame.
Among the many factors contributing to school absence, one is emerging more prominently: Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). Understanding and addressing EBSA is essential to improving attendance in a sustainable, compassionate way that honours each child’s experience and strengthens school communities.
A national challenge with local urgency
According to a June 2025 report by The Guardian, more than one third of Australian students are now falling below benchmark attendance. In some schools, particularly in lower socio-economic areas, up to 70% of students are regularly absent. School leaders describe a rising wave of ‘school refusal’, with absences often linked to anxiety, mental health, or environmental stressors, rather than disinterest or defiance.
The impact is clear: missed learning, social disconnection, and increasing pressure on school systems already stretched by staff shortages and a rising complexity of need.
What is EBSA?
EBSA refers to a student’s severe difficulty attending school due to emotional distress, such as anxiety, trauma, or mental health concerns. It’s not the same as truancy. Students with EBSA often want to attend school but feel unable to.
And EBSA is a continuum, not a moment. What begins as reluctance can evolve into prolonged absence, particularly if the underlying issues are misunderstood or unaddressed.
For many students, this emotional distress may be shaped by cultural disconnection or a sense of not belonging within the school environment. This is particularly relevant for First Nations students, students from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, and those experiencing generational poverty, where inherited trauma or a historical mistrust of institutions can deeply influence engagement with education.
Understanding the roots: behaviour as communication
As educators, we know that behaviour is a form of communication. EBSA is often a sign that something isn’t working for the student — emotionally, relationally, environmentally, or systemically.
Contributing factors may include:
- Anxiety (generalised, social, or specific to school)
- Experiences of trauma or adverse childhood events
- Friendship challenges or bullying
- Academic pressure or unmet learning needs
- Strained relationships with staff
- Family difficulties or separation anxiety
- Cultural isolation or value conflicts between home and school
For some students, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the school context may present values, expectations, or norms that feel unfamiliar or even at odds with their home culture. Addressing EBSA effectively means recognising and responding to these intersecting cultural factors with sensitivity and inclusion.
Rather than seeking a single cause, we need to listen closely and explore the whole picture surrounding the child.
Five principles for supporting attendance through an EBSA-informed lens
There is no one-size-fits-all solution but there are clear principles that can guide us:
1. Spot the signs early
Think of EBSA as a continuum: from subtle discomfort to physical symptoms (like stomach aches or headaches), to irregular absence, and finally long-term disengagement. Identifying early indicators, and treating them seriously, allows for timely, compassionate support.
2. Build a gradual return strategy
For students with high absence, returning full-time may feel overwhelming. Plans should be individualised, co-created with the student and family, and paced appropriately. This may include starting the day in a quiet space, attending part time, or choosing supportive subjects first.
3. Partner with families
Families are key allies, not obstacles. Yet many can feel guilt, confusion, or fear about their child’s absence, especially when faced with punitive responses. We must approach families with curiosity, not judgement, recognising that trust builds change.
In some cases, family members may themselves struggle with anxiety, past trauma, or negative school experiences. Supporting the child often means supporting the entire family system.
4. Adapt the environment
Sometimes, it’s the school environment that needs some attention, in order for students to attend regularly. Small changes like staggered transitions, quieter zones, or relational staff allocations can reduce anxiety. Whole-school cultures that emphasise safety, belonging, and connection are more likely to foster regular attendance.
5. Lead with empathy
Naturally, attendance data is essential, but percentages don’t provide the whole picture. We must resist framing the school attendance challenge only through the lens of metrics. Instead, we can keep our focus on the students behind the numbers. What are their lived experiences? What might help them feel safer at school? What would it look like to truly centre pupil voice in our efforts to improve attendance?
A systems issue, not an individual fault
Schools are working harder than ever — and this work is not easy. Staff are balancing complexity, external scrutiny, and community need with limited resources and time. And while the attendance issue is not about blame, shame, or criticism, it does provide an opportunity for genuine reflection:
- Are our systems making school feel safe and accessible for all students?
- Are we resourcing leaders and staff to engage families well?
- Are we building a culture where mental health is not a barrier to learning, but a central part of it?
Moving forward together to address attendance
EBSA isn’t a behaviour problem to be managed; it’s a wellbeing issue to be understood. By applying relational, trauma-informed, and individualised approaches, we can create school environments where every student feels safe, valued and welcome.
As leaders, the challenge is great but so is the opportunity. Together, we can reshape how attendance is addressed: not with pressure, but with partnership.
