Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Community Services Act 1970 - SECT 74C

Parents to cause child to attend school

74C. Parents to cause child to attend school



(1) The parents of every child of school age shall, unless there is a
reasonable excuse for the child's non-attendance, cause such child to attend a
State school on every school half-day in each week.

(2) Attendance at a school on any school day for two hours before noon or for
two hours after noon shall in each case be attendance on a school half-day.

(3) It shall be a reasonable excuse as regards any child that-

   (a)  the child is under efficient and regular instruction in some other
        manner and is complying with the like conditions of attendance as are
        required under this section with regard to attendance at
        State schools;

   (b)  the child has been prevented from attending school by sickness,
        reasonable fear of infection, temporary or permanent infirmity or any
        unavoidable cause;

   (c)  there is no State school which the child can attend within a distance
        (measured according to the nearest practicable route) from the
        residence of the child-

   (i)  of 3 kilometres if the child is under 9 years of age; or

   (ii) of 5 kilometres if the child is at least 9 years of age-

and that the child is being educated by correspondence tuition; or





   (d)  the child has been exempted from school attendance in accordance with
        the provisions of section 74G or has been excused from school
        attendance in accordance with the provisions of section 53 of the
        Education Act 1958.

(4) In the event of any child being unable for any reason to attend school on
a school half-day the parent if so required by the teacher of the school shall
within five days by himself or an authorized agent inform the teacher of the
reason of the child's non-attendance; and all such information shall be
reduced to writing and filed by such teacher for inspection by any authorized
officer.

(5) If a parent omits to inform a teacher of the reason of the child's
non-attendance and fails to show reasonable grounds for such omission the
child shall be deemed to be absent without a reasonable excuse.

(6) For the purposes of this section the expression "being educated by
correspondence tuition'' means-

   (a)  that the child is receiving tuition by correspondence from a
        Correspondence School of the Department of Education pursuant to
        registration of the child for enrolment thereat effected by the parent
        of the child by notification as prescribed to the head teacher of the
        State school nearest the child's place of residence; or

   (b)  that the child is receiving efficient and regular tuition by
        correspondence in a manner approved by the Minister.