School refusal – School can’t
The following is an excerpt from the ebooklet Working with children who school refuse – school can’t by Murray Evely
Introduction
Children who school refuse – school can’t
It is not unusual for children to be reluctant to go to school from time to time. However, the effects of poor school attendance are cumulative and can jeopardise social engagement and lead to a decline in achievement. Some children feel so distressed they just can’t go to school. This is more serious than separation anxiety or occasionally being late to school. Not being able to go to school is often associated with complex personal, family, school and community factors. In some instances, onset can be triggered by a single adverse event.
This ebooklet aims to assist teachers, psychologists, other professionals and parents working with children who feel unable to attend school. The ebooklet outlines practical strategies to empower teachers and others to help prevent and reduce the incidence of children who can’t summon the physical and emotional resources to go to school.
What is school refusal – school can’t?
In Australia, there is a shift within the community to describe school refusal as ‘school can’t’, as the term ‘refusal’ implies that children are choosing not to attend school. [1] [2] In fact, their non-attendance is not a deliberate choice to refuse, but an inability to attend. Children who feel they can’t go to school are trying to protect themselves from high levels of (often unconscious) distress. They are frequently emotionally stuck. Without appropriate support, underlying trauma or stress can impact on the child’s nervous system and their mind and body can be caught in a flight, fight or freeze mode.[3] [4] Their non-attendance is not misbehaviour or a choice,[5] but often a cry for help. These children usually require support and intervention by a psychologist and other professionals.
The issues around non-attendance can be best understood on a continuum, from the child becoming a reluctant and/or irregular attender, through to school refusal and chronic non-attendance, where the child just can’t summon the physical and emotional resources to go or stay at school. To engage with school, these children need empathy and understanding through trauma-informed, relationship-based practices and appropriate learning and/or social-emotional support by teachers and schools. [6] [7] [8]
Children who can’t summon the resources to go or stay at school often experience emotional distress which can manifest as anxiety and/or depression, physical symptoms and social isolation. Some children will have experienced trauma, adverse experiences and/or stress, including severe embarrassment or shaming. Some children can feel insufficiently supported at school. [9] [10] This lack of support may relate to neuro-developmental disorders, learning difficulties, social-emotional needs and/or bullying. Persistent non-attendance can be very distressing not only for the child, but also parents/carers. [11] [12] It can also place an extra burden on school staff. [13]
Characteristics of school refusal – school can’t
There is a need for further research in Australia to understand school attendance and non-attendance. Over the last decade school attendance rates in Australia have been declining.[14] [15] As many as five per cent of school-age children are believed to feel they can’t attend school. [16] Higher levels are evident in children experiencing anxiety and depression and those with unmet learning and/or social needs. It tends to peak in the first year of school, at the end of primary school and again in junior secondary school, often at transition times when children can be more vulnerable.
Significant or adverse experiences can also contribute to attendance issues. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted school attendance in several Australian states and territories and created transition difficulties for some children as they switched between in-person and remote learning. During the pandemic, extended periods of learning from home decreased face-to-face connection with friends and teachers and generally lowered academic participation. For many children, restrictions to mitigate the impact of the pandemic reduced extra curricula activities such as meeting up with friends, dance, swimming lessons and organised sport, contributing to feelings of uncertainty, stress and anxiety for many children.
Those children who can’t summon the resources to attend typically have a range of academic abilities, although the longer they miss school, the greater the chance that gaps in learning will develop. These attendance issues are equally common among males and females and affects children from all socioeconomic groups. When at school, some of these children are compliant in the classroom and well behaved, whereas others may engage in behavioural outbursts as a way of avoiding or escaping the demands of school. Many of the compliant children are believed to mask their underlying distress as they struggle with the demands of unmet learning and/or social needs, learning difficulties, mental health issues and/or difficulties associated with diagnosed or undiagnosed neuro-developmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). [17] A child with a history of extended time away from school who shows signs of distress should be referred promptly with parental consent, to a GP, psychologist, paediatrician, or psychiatrist.
Neurodiverse children
Children with ASD may encounter challenges within the school environment that disrupt their engagement. Many of these children find micro-transitions, sensory stimuli, and the social and learning demands of schools complex to navigate. These experiences, combined with anxiety or stress related to the school setting, can make attendance difficult.
Currently, around 1 in 70 Australians are diagnosed with ASD.[18] [19] Boys are still four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls. [20] Many girls seem better able to mask their symptoms. Often girls have more mainstream interests and presentations than boys and may suppress autistic traits for example, by faking a smile when feeling discomfort or by repressing the urge to stim. [21] Masking can be emotionally and physically exhausting for the child, making it difficult to attend school and/or succeed academically.
The Psych4Schools blog, Autistic girls can present differently from autistic boys, lists ways to help identify girls who mask autistic traits to better conform to social expectations. [22] [23] The Psych4Schools ebooklets Working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Working with children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (revised) provide practical strategies for supporting neurodiverse children.
Learning difficulties
Teachers are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for children with disabilities and additional needs to ensure that teaching, learning and wellbeing strategies are inclusive, safe, socially and developmentally appropriate, part of accepted practice and negotiated through consultation. To support inclusion, a whole-school approach to support social/emotional wellbeing and learning is recommended.
Learning can also be hampered by anxiety and depression. Australian school psychologists have identified anxiety as the most common issue encountered in their work with children and their families in primary schools, [24] yet many anxious children are not recognised, treated or appropriately supported. [25] For some, this may be because they display behaviours that are not always associated with anxiety. For further information on how to identify and assist these children, see the Psych4Schools ebooklet Working with children to help prevent anxiety and Working with children who are anxious. For information on assisting depressed children, see the Psych4Schools ebooklet Working with children who are depressed (and helping prevent depression).
To support children with learning difficulties, disorders and disabilities see a list of ebooklets in the references and resources section including the Psych4Schools ebooklet Working with children with learning disabilities. For children with social-emotional issues see the list of ebooklets on page 30.
Reasons for attendance issues
The reasons children are unable to attend school are often complex and usually due to a combination of factors, rather than a single issue. These may include:
- Lack of early identification of learning difficulties and/or attendance issues
- Life stressors, adverse childhood experiences, trauma and underlying distress and overwhelming anxiety
- Personal problems, feeling isolated, relationship or friendship issues, and other fears concerning teacher/s, peers or friends including bullying, and being ridiculed or excluded [26]
- School-based stressors including noisy, unpredictable classrooms, unstructured play areas [27]and a lack of interest-based learning [28]
- Issues at home including family illness, separation, grief, dysfunction, family violence, parental mental health, and conflicting value systems
- Difficulty coping with diagnosed or undiagnosed psychological and/or medical conditions
- Major transitions such as moving school, returning to school during or after illness of self or a family member, or a life-threatening event such as pandemic, fire or flood
- Key school transition times including changing teachers or year levels
- Transience, repeated school changes, negative school climate and culture.
The inability to attend school is typically linked to anxiety and for some children may be associated with early separation anxiety, social anxiety and/or generalised anxiety disorder (persistent worrying across a range of issues).
Impact on families
Ongoing attendance issues can result in parents and carers as well as children being isolated. Some parents or carers are forced to discontinue work to supervise and support their child. Those who need to home-school their child often experience financial distress. [29]
Managing a child’s attendance issues can be further complicated by distressed parents/carers experiencing mental health problems of their own and/or difficulties communicating regularly with the school or governing authority. Some perceive a lack of empathy from the school or governing authority in understanding that their child just can’t go to school and the barriers they face. Added to the distress or dysfunction, some families face legal threats from education departments for unexplained student absences. [30]
Government intervention
The Australian Senate report (2023) [31] investigated supporting children with school attendance difficulties. They listed 14 recommendations including the need for:
- a nationally agreed definition of school refusal
- a coordinated national approach
- further research into school refusal
- early identification and screening of at-risk children
- evidence-based interventions and resources
- a stronger focus on mental health care and wellbeing in schools
- reasonable adjustments for students
- support for parents and more thoughtful messaging about school attendance
- trauma-informed approaches and
- more collaborative and flexible delivery of educational services and partnerships with families.
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) is commissioned by the federal government to analyse what’s causing school attendance issues and to disseminate teacher training to support young people.
Other types of poor school attendance
Truancy
Parents/carers of a child who feels they can’t attend school (often described as a school refuser) typically know their child is not at school, while those of a child who truants may not. The child who truants is avoiding school because they want to engage in activities, at times antisocial in nature, that are typically outside both school and home. The child who can’t usually wants to be at school but can’t summon the emotional energy or courage to go.
School withdrawal
School withdrawal occurs when a parent/carer either condones or plans with the child to stay home. For example, to keep a parent company, for extended family holidays, caregiving duties, interpreting, or visiting friends and relatives. Some parents routinely allow children to stay home on their birthday. Some are allowed to stay home when their parents have a work flexi day. Some parents who allow or encourage their child stay at home may experience loneliness, parenting difficulties, mental health issues and/or poor attitudes to education.
Spasmodic school non-attendance
School non-attendance, when a child simply stays at home instead of going to school, may occur because parents don’t reinforce the need to be at school or the child finds home more comfortable than school. They may engage in recreational activities such as watching television, playing videogames, or riding scooters or bikes. This form of non-attendance may occur with or without parent knowledge. It tends to be irregular or spasmodic.
Children who are disconnected and not enrolled
This group of children are detached from schooling and unaccounted for within education enrolment systems. Conservative estimates indicate that 50,000 school-aged Australian children are not just absent from school but are educationally disconnected and not enrolled in a school.[32] A range of personal circumstances and school factors can contribute to this disengagement, such as homelessness, poor mental health, family dysfunction, domestic violence, bullying, disability and discrimination, or school exclusion due to misbehaviour or poor academic achievement. [33]
School exclusion
Anecdotal evidence suggests exclusionary practices are used by some schools to deal with problem behaviour. At present, little is known about such practices at a national level. An audit of policies and practices of suspensions and expulsions across Australian schools in 2019 found a
disproportionate number of vulnerable children; indigenous, male and children with disabilities were excluded.[34] In 2020 school exclusion was further investigated by the University of South Australia to help schools better understand and manage challenging behaviours.[35] Recent research showed that school suspensions and exclusions continue to put vulnerable children at risk, and fail to identify the deep seated causes of challenging behaviour, which exacerbates negative issues rather than resolving them. [36]
Often school attendance-related issues overlap, so it is important to identify issues, early.
The introduction further provides information on typical school refusal – school can’t behaviours, early warning signs, signs of school refusal – school can’t at home, additional support, child safety and caution regarding vicarious trauma.
Strategies to support school engagement
This ebooklet highlights trauma-informed, relationship-based learning approaches to help teachers and schools build a wellbeing climate that promotes the skills and confidence needed for regular attendance and re-engaging the child with school. In addition, early intervention strategies for teachers, schools and families are included to assist the at-risk child to overcome their reluctance to regularly attend. In addition, an intervention plan for psychologists to assist chronic non-attenders to return to school is included.
ISBN 978-1-921908-51-4
Copyright © Murray Evely 2025
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[1] Amin, M., Ettinger-Epstein, S., and Roberts, A (2024) What is ‘school refusal’ and what can I do if my child struggles to get to school? ABC News, Tuesday 30 April
[2] The academic literature often uses the term school refusal. This ebooklet acknowledges both terms – school refusal and school can’t.
[3] Polyvagal theory chart of trauma response. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=the+Polyvagal+theory+chart+of+trauma+response+
[4] Child Safety Commissioner, Calmer classrooms (2007) A guide to working with traumatized children. Initially published by the State Government Victoria
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Calmer+classrooms+%282007%29
[5] Stokes, H., and Brunzell, T., (2020) Leading Trauma-Informed Practice in Schools. Leading and Managing 26, 1, 70 – 77
[6] Child Safety Commissioner, Calmer classrooms (2007) A guide to working with traumatized children. Initially published by the State Government Victoria
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Calmer+classrooms+%282007%29
[7] Westphal, T. and Rogers, L. (2024) Supporting children with attendance difficulties. Making Waves Webinar, 21 March. The presenters are Board members of School Can’t Australia.
[8] Naish, S., Oakley, A., O’Brien, H., Penna, S and Thrower, D. (2023) The A -Z of Trauma Informed Teaching. Strategies and Solutions to Help with Behaviour and Support for Children Aged 3-11. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.
[9] Parliament of Australia, (2023) The national trend of school refusal and related matters. Senate inquiry report August.
[10] ABC News, Conor Duffy, (2023) New school refusal data suggests the ‘shocking’ issue is much bigger than first thought, Wednesday 8 November
[11] School Phobia/School Refusal Australia. (n.d) When it’s not OK not to be OK; Victoria’s invisible mental health and education crisis.http://rcvmhs.archive.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/School_Refusal_Australia.pdf
[12] Westphal, T. and Rogers, L. (2024) Supporting children with attendance difficulties. Making Waves Webinar, 21 March. The presenters are Board members of School Can’t Australia.
[13] Heyne, D., and Brouwer-Borghuis, M., (2022). Signposts for school refusal interventions, based on the views of stakeholders. Continuity in education, 3,1, 25–40.
https://continuityineducation.org/articles/10.5334/cie.42
[14] Howard, N. and Bills, A. (2023) School attendance rates are dropping. We need to ask our students why. The conversation, February 27. https://theconversation.com/school-attendance-rates-are-dropping-we-need-to-ask-students-why-200537
[15] ABC TV 4 Corners ‘The Kids Who Can’t’ documentary revealed the struggles of children ‘refusing’ to attend school, and the impact on their families. Series 2024. 46 minutes. https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2403H011S00
[16] The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, (2018) Re-engaging School Refusers. February 7 in Patient and family centered care, https://www.rchfoundation.org.au/2018/02/reengaging-school-refusers/
[17] Westphal, T. and Rogers, L. (2024) Supporting children with attendance difficulties. Making Waves Webinar, 21 March The presenters are Board members of School Can’t Australia.
[18] YouTube (n.d) Debunking Autism Treatment Myths, Jessica Paynter Griffith University
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzvSIUslwRo
[19] Autism prevalence rate up by an estimated 40% to 1 in 70 people. Autism Spectrum Australia 11 July 2018, https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/news/autism-prevalence-rate-up-by-an-estimated-40-to-1-in-70-people-11-07-2018
[20] Steinbrenner, J. R., Hume, K., Odom, S. L., Morin, K. L., Nowell, S. W., Tomaszewski, B., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N. S., Yücesoy-Özkan, S., & Savage, M. N. (2020). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with Autism. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice Review Team.
[21] Evely, M (2023, October 23) Autistic girls can present differently from autistic boys. Psych4Schools blog, Melbourne, Australia https://www.psych4schools.com.au/autistic-girls-can-present-differently-from-autistic-boys/
[22] Attwood, T., Grandin, T., Faherty, C., Mcllwee Myers, J., Snyder, R., Wagner, S., Wrobel, M, Iiand, L and Bolock, T (2019) Autism and Girls, Future Horizons
[23] Bulhak-Paterson, D., Ferguson, T., and Attwood, T., (2015) I am an Aspie Girl: A book for young girls with autism spectrum conditions. Jessica Kingsley Publishers
[24] O’Grady, L., Quayle, A., Martin, L.M., Cavanagh, S., (2011) Tackling mental health in primary schools. InPsych, The Bulletin of the Australian Psychological Society, 33 (3), 30-31. Melbourne, VIC: Australian Psychological Society
[25] Orygen, Youth Health (n.d) Anxiety Disorders and Young People. Factsheet. Parkville, Victoria.
[26] Heyne, D., and Brouwer-Borghuis, M., (2022). Signposts for school refusal interventions, based on the views of stakeholders. Continuity in education, 3,1, 25–40.
https://continuityineducation.org/articles/10.5334/cie.42
[27] ibid
[28] ABC TV 4 Corners ‘The Kids Who Can’t’ documentary revealed the struggles of children ‘refusing’ to attend school, and the impact on their families. (Series 2024). 46 minutes. https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2403H011S00
[29] ibid
[30] ibid
[31] Parliament of Australia, (2023) The national trend of school refusal and related matters. Senate inquiry report August.
[32] Watterston, J., and O’Connell, M (2019) Those who disappear: The Australian education problem nobody wants to talk about’ https://education.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/3234214/15493-UoM-MGSE-Deans-Paper_Web_FA-FINAL.pdf Melbourne Graduate School of Education. The University of Melbourne.
[33] ibid
[34] University of South Australia. (2020) Schools unfairly targeting vulnerable children with exclusion policies. https://www.unisa.edu.au/Media-Centre/Releases/2020/schools-unfairly-targeting-vulnerable-children–with-exclusion-policies2/
[35] University of South Australia. (2019) School Exclusions Study: Exclusionary policies and practices in Australian schools and the impact they have on vulnerable children. A research project of the University of South Australia. https://www.schoolexclusionsstudy.com.au/
[36] University of South Australia (2024) School suspensions and exclusions put vulnerable children at risk, 15 April. https://unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2024/school-suspensions-and-exclusions-put-vulnerable-children-at-risk/
This article is an excerpt from the ebooklet School refusal – School can’t
Download the complete ebooklet for full access to strategies and resources, including:
- Children who school refuse – school can’t
- Strategies to support school engagement
- Relationship-based teaching
- Early intervention
- Tailor individual programs
- Attendance or Return-to-School Plan
- On return, help to child to stay at school
- References and resources
- Appendices
