SCHOOL EDUCATION ACT 1999 - SECT 26
SCHOOL EDUCATION ACT 1999 - SECT 26
26 . Doubtful reasons given for child’s non-attendance, principal may refer to Attendance Panel etc.
(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; and
(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; and
(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; or
(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).
(3) Under subsection
(2)(b)(ii), a Panel may advise that a responsible parenting agreement under
the Children and Community Services Act 2004 be entered into, and complied
with, in respect of the child.
[Section 26 amended: No. 22 of 2005 s. 39(1); No.
28 of 2014 s. 26; No. 23 of 2015 s. 19.]