From the end of Term 2, the Department of Education has stated all Victorian government schools must contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence. This requirement supports student safety and wellbeing. Schools need to know when and why a child is absent, and parents/carers need to know if their child is not at school. Prompt communication also promotes daily school attendance. Parents and carers must notify the school of their child’s absence as soon as possible on the day of absence using the school’s preferred method, including online, by telephone or by email.