What Parents Say About School Can't

Written By Tiffany Westphal

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:

THEME 1: Parent/carers described conditions of onset of school can’t including:

  • Responses to overwhelm and stress,

  • Difficulties with transitions, and

  • Negative school experiences.

THEME 2: Parent/carers described impacts on feeling safe including:

  • Psychological and emotional safety,

  • Belonging and self-perception,

  • Bullying and exclusion.

THEME 3: Parent/carers indicated that students were doing the best they can:

  • They are experiencing involuntary responses to overwhelm and trauma,

  • They need autonomy and agency, and are

  • Often masking to protect self.

THEME 4: Parent/carers highlighted that schools were often poorly resourced and equipped to identify signs of school can’t and provide support:

  • Parent/carers described provision of inconsistent supports,

  • Staff that lacked training and understanding about how to support the student, and

  • Systemic barriers and power imbalances.

THEME 5: Parent/carers highlighted that poor supports often escalated distress due to:  

  • Inconsistent or absent accommodations and supports,

  • Communication breakdown, or

  • Broken trust.

THEME 6: Interviews revealed the significant advocacy and emotional load carried by parents due to:

  • Difficulties navigating complex systems,

  • Feelings of guilt and self-blame,

  • Significant personal investments of time and emotional labour.

THEME 7:  Impacts on parent/carers included:  

  • Emotional and financial impacts,

  • Feeling judged and blamed,

  • Lack of support and transparency

THEME 8: What do parents say works?:

  • Collaborative, flexible approaches,

  • Individualised learning and support,

  • Building trust and positive relationships.

You can read the full report here.

This research collaboration was kindly donated to us by Proto Partners and was launched at the Australian Network for School Attendance conference, September 2025

School Can’t Australia acknowledges the lived and living experiences of our parent carer community and the value of our voices and experiences. We are grateful for the emotional labour of the 16 families who shared their stories for this study.

Tiffany Westphal
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School based stressors