This article in the Conversation, by two Flinders University researchers, examines school refusal in Australia.
They observed and interviewed teachers and students across ten South Australian schools from all sectors.
They found that a school’s response to a student who has stopped wanting to come to school for whatever reason can make the difference between student re-engaging or walking away altogether.
One of their main recommendations is for schools to prioritise relationships (also one of the key planks of Relationship based Education).
They also recommend a flexible approach to meeting the children’s needs – measures as simple as re-arranging the classroom furniture to make it more home-like.
