What Parents Say About School Can't

Author: Tiffany Westphal

In October 2024, Kara Weaving and Kirsten Blaess partnered with School Can’t Australia to conduct a qualitative study, exploring practices families find effective or ineffective in supporting students with school attendance challenges.  16 parent/carers were interviewed using a narrative storytelling approach.  The transcribed interviews were thematically analysed and the following key themes and sub-themes were identified:

1.     Onset of school can’t: a response to overwhelm and stress, difficulties with transitions, and negative school experiences.

2.     Impacts on feeling safe: psychological and emotional safety, belonging and self-perception, bullying and exclusion.

3.     Students doing the best they can: Involuntary responses to overwhelm and trauma, the need for autonomy and agency, masking to protect self.

4.     Schools poorly equipped to identify signs of school can’t and provide support:supports inconsistent, staff lack training and understanding, systemic barriers and power imbalances.

5.     Supports escalate distress:  inadequate support, communication breakdown, broken trust.

6.     Advocacy and emotional load carried by parents: navigating complex systems, guilt and self-blame, time and emotional investment.

7.     Impact on parent/carers:  emotional and financial, feeling judged and blames, lack of support and transparency

8.     What do parents say works?: collaborative, flexible approaches, individualised learning and support, building trust and positive relationships.

You can find the full report here.

This research collaboration was kindly donated to us by Proto Partners.