The Northern Territory Government’s overhaul of secondary schooling has placed school attendance firmly back in the policy spotlight, with an independent think tank urging a shift away from punitive enforcement and towards evidence-based engagement.
The call comes as the NT formally moves away from its middle school model following an official review of secondary education, which found the structure had not delivered sustained improvements in attendance, retention or Year 12 completion.
Under the Territory’s secondary education reform agenda, former middle schools have transitioned to comprehensive Year 7–12 secondary schools from the start of the 2026 school year, a move the Department of Education says is designed to provide greater continuity of learning, stronger student–teacher relationships and clearer senior secondary pathways.
The review, commissioned by the NT Government and informed by national and international evidence, identified fragmented schooling transitions and inconsistent engagement during the middle years as key challenges, particularly in remote and regional contexts. Attendance emerged as a central concern, with data showing persistent disengagement despite increased investment in compliance and truancy responses.
In parallel with the structural reforms, the Territory has expanded the use of truancy officers and enforcement mechanisms aimed at lifting attendance rates – an approach now being questioned by The McKell Institute.
In a statement released this week, the independent policy institute said school attendance in the Northern Territory had continued to decline despite significant investment in compliance-focused strategies, highlighting the limits of enforcement-led approaches.
The McKell Institute, which launched its NT branch last year, argues the evidence points to the need for a policy reset.
Rather than doubling down on punitive measures such as fines, the institute says funding should be redirected to address the underlying causes of non-attendance, which are rarely the result of unwillingness alone.
“The government’s intent is commendable – it wants children in school,” said Ms Hannah MacLeod, Executive Director (SA/NT) at The McKell Institute.
“But the data and research tell us the current mix of tools simply will not improve attendance.”
Ms MacLeod said students miss school for a complex range of reasons, including transport barriers, health issues, family and housing instability, disengagement from learning, and whether school feels safe, supportive and relevant to their lives.
The McKell Institute’s position aligns with key themes identified in the NT Government’s own review, which emphasised the importance of wellbeing, engagement and culturally responsive schooling alongside structural reform.
According to the institute’s research, sustained improvements in attendance are consistently linked to early identification of disengagement, strong relationships between schools and families, wellbeing and learning support embedded in schools, culturally informed and community-led approaches, and practical supports that make attendance achievable.
“If we want attendance to improve and stay improved, policy must focus on enabling children to attend school, not compelling them to do so,” Ms MacLeod said.
“That means aligning investment with what the evidence shows actually works.”
The NT Department of Education has previously acknowledged that lifting attendance will require long-term, community-based solutions, particularly in remote communities, and has positioned the transition to comprehensive secondary schools as part of a broader effort to strengthen engagement during the middle years.
