4460 (2024). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Associate Minister of Education

4460 (2024). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Associate Minister of Education: What assurances, if any, can he give immunocompromised students that their parents will not be fined for illness-related absences?

Hon David Seymour: If a child is not well enough to go to school, this is a justified absence. Making a decision on whether a child is well enough to go to school is a parental responsibility set out in law. This Government is focussed on making sure students who have no justifiable reason to be away from school, are attending school regularly. I have not yet made decisions on whether an attendance infringement regime or additional enforcement levers are needed beyond what already exists in the Education and Training Act 2020.