Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Answers to Questions Public Schools, Absenteeism Public Schools, Absenteeism The Hon. S.L. GAME Legislative Council Public Schools, Absenteeism In reply to the Hon. S.L. GAME ().16 November 2022). The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector Public Schools, Absenteeism The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Education, Training and Skills has advised: Student Support Services currently employs over 30 FTE truancy social workers and senior social workers distributed across local education offices to provide truancy services. These roles are in addition to a range of mental health and wellbeing roles across our schools—which the Malinauskas Labor government is expanding. Truancy is something this government has been doing a great deal of work to address, including hiring extra truancy officers with a social work background, introducing a pilot program working with Aboriginal students, and focusing on education family conferences. I am pleased that the attendance rate rebounded following a drop to 87 per cent in 2020 as COVID first impacted, sitting at 88.9 per cent in 2021.