The Education Act 1994 requires parents or guardians of ‘a school-aged child’ to make sure that the child attends school each school day unless the child has been exempted from attendance or is excused on the basis of ‘reasonable causes’, which are described below.

• Home Education is a legal option in Tasmania, but it is a serious responsibility and interested grandparents should first talk to the Tasmanian Home Education Advisory Council to find out what is involved.

The Council is based at 23 Canning Street Launceston and can be contacted on 6334 5381.

• A child who is enrolled at school can be excused from attendance on a given day because they are sick or if they have a temporary physical or mental condition that prevents them attending. It is essential that you inform the school if the child will be away so that the absence is recorded as ‘authorised’.

If you do not notify the school within two days, the Principal or a specified staff member is required to follow up by contacting the adults responsible for the child. A medical certificate may be requested if a child is absent from school for five or more days.

• The Department of Education has a policy regarding approved cultural absence for Aboriginal children. For information about the policy contact the school Principal or the Aboriginal Education Unit on (03) 6233 7968.

If you are concerned that the child you care for may not be attending school regularly, contact the school and ask them to work with you to remedy the situation.

Reasonable causes for exclusion

A child may be excluded from school attendance for health reasons or as a disciplinary measure. Health reasons include circumstances surrounding contagious diseases and head lice.

A child who has a contagious disease such as chicken pox, conjunctivitis, German measles or glandular fever will require treatment from a doctor and will need to stay at home for a specified period. Ask the Principal, the child’s doctor or the local Child and Family Health Service about the length of time the child should stay at home.

Tell the school if the child contracts such a disease, so that the child’s absence can be properly recorded and the health of other children monitored.

When a child is about to be enrolled in a childcare facility or school, you are required to provide information about their immunisation. If an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease is declared in the community and a child is not fully immunised, they have to stay home until the outbreak is declared over. More information on immunisation is available from:

• your school or childcare facility
• the local council
• your family doctor
• the Family, Child and Youth Health Nurse
• the DHHS Immunisation Hotline: 1800 671 738 (this is a free call)