Rugby league players Jonathon Thurston and Sam Thaiday know that Every Day Counts. So does Australian Under 21 representative and Queensland Firebird Beryl Friday. That trio are just some of the sporting stars, who along with Education Minister Grace Grace are reminding parents and carers of Queensland’s primary and high school students how important attending school every day is for their children’s future.
“The best way to ensure our children reap the full benefit from their primary and high school years is to ensure they attend school every day,” Ms. Grace commented “It’s a simple message, but one that we know works. We know there is a clear link between school attendance and student performance. Each one per cent increase in student attendance may relate to up to three NAPLAN scale score points while missing just one day of school each fortnight amounts to missing more than a year of learning during the course of a student’s school life.”
Ms. Grace said the Education Department’s very successful Every Day Counts program highlights that improving school attendance is a responsibility shared by students, parents, carers, schools and the community. The Minister explained that The Every Day Counts resources also help to encourage regular and consistent attendance for Indigenous students. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, in general, have had lower school attendance rates compared to their non-Indigenous peers so we’ve developed a range of targeted strategies to help close the gap. In 2017, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ attendance was at 84.8 per cent while non-Indigenous students attended school at 92.2 per cent.
“In recent years the State Government has engaged some of Queensland’s highest profile sports stars to help promote the Every Day Counts messages, including rugby league players Johnathan Thurston and Sam Thaiday, and netballer Beryl Friday.” Ms. Grace commented “The campaign appeals to young Indigenous students with an animation featuring the adventures of Jimmy and his dog Sam (the voice of Sam Thaiday), a comic book, posters and a dedicated website. Just as every training session is important to Sam, JT and Beryl, every day at school is crucial to students,’’