In New South Wales, it is compulsory to attend school up until 17-years-old.
At Bankstown Intensive English Centre (BIEC), we have a policy of at least 85% attendance at the Intensive English Centre (IEC) for students to be eligible to receive at the end of their IEC studies the IEC Certificate of Completion of course.
This is an important document from the New South Wales Department of Education for the next stage in a student's educational pathway.
Students need to be attending school and their classes every day, unless they are sick and therefore it is advisable that they stay home. If students are sick more than 2 days, then they should be seeing a doctor and then they need to bring a doctor's or medical certificate the next day they come to school.
In addition, students need to be attending school and their classes every day unless they have an approved leave from the head teacher for a short period of time for reasons they have discussed prior with the head teacher.
It is also advisable that students ring the school and let the office know if they are away on the day or if there is an emergency situation with themselves or with their family.
Students who are not meeting the attendance criteria may not be able to receive the IEC Certificate of Completion of course and/or they may be discontinued from their IEC studies.
Poor attendance
The following steps are put in place by the Bankstown Intensive English Centre if students have poor attendance.
1. Interviewing students and phone calls
Every effort is made by the head teacher, the second-in-charge (2iC), the attendance coordinator or the counsellor to interview students who are at risk and phone calls are made to homes, so that the school can also find out about a student's specific circumstances for his/her non regular or erratic attendance.
2. Warning letter and attendance card for two weeks
The Bankstown Intensive English Centre will issue a warning letter to students who have continued absences, even after the interview by the head teacher, the second-in-charge (2iC), the attendance coordinator or the counsellor and students will have 2 weeks to respond to their absences' problem by being put on a 2-week attendance card at school.
3. Discontinuation letter and termination from Intensive English Centre studies
If the absence problems continue, then the Bankstown Intensive English Centre can issue a discontinuation letter and students will be terminated from the Intensive English Centre course, with a simple statement of attendance and the dates that they were attending.