Western Australian Consolidated Acts

SCHOOL EDUCATION ACT 1999 - SECT 26

26 .         Referral to an Attendance Panel where doubtful reasons given about non-attendance

        (1)         This section applies where a principal is of the opinion that the reasons notified under section 25(2)(b) in respect of a child of compulsory school age have persistently — 

            (a)         been not genuine; or

            (b)         not amounted to a sufficient cause for the purposes of that section.

        (2)         Where this section applies to a child — 

            (a)         the principal may refer the child’s case to an Attendance Panel under section 39;

            (b)         a Panel may — 

                  (i)         inquire into the child’s attendance record including the social, cultural, lingual, economic or geographic factors, or learning difficulties, that might be affecting the child’s attendance record;

                  (ii)         give such advice and assistance to the child and to his or her parents as it thinks fit; and

                  (iii)         do any of the things referred to in section 40(3) and (4) for those purposes;

                and

            (c)         a Panel is to prepare a written report on the child’s case setting out any advice or assistance given by the Panel and give a copy of the report to the school’s principal and — 

                  (i)         to a parent of the child;

                  (ii)         if the child is a prescribed child, to the child; or

                  (iii)         to a person whose details have been provided under section 16(1)(b)(ii)(II).

        [Section 26 amended by No. 22 of 2005 s. 39(1).]