Student absences blamed on games

ONLINE gaming and iPhone addictions are among the key reasons why Queensland students are refusing to go to school.

Children’s mental health battles and kids caring for family members are also highlighted in submissions to a federal inquiry into the national trend of school refusal.

According to Productivity Commission data released in February, Queensland’s student attendance rates for Years 1-10 has fallen from 92.3 per ent in 2015 to 86.7 per cent in 2022. Queensland is only just above the 2022 national average for Years 1-10 - 86.5 per cent.

Online gaming addiction and children’s eyes being glued to their phones are among the explanations from Queensland educators as to why more students refuse to go to school.

Children’s mental health battles and kids caring for family members are also highlighted, prompting criticisms that doctors and support services are failing the next generation.

Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director Dr Lee-Anne Perry said in her submission that gaming and other online behaviour is a significant factor.

“For some students, gaming represents an alternative activity to engage with during a school day. Problematic gaming has been linked to adverse sleep patterns,” Dr Perry wrote.

Gaming and technology are also highlighted in a submission from clinical psychologist Dr Judith Locke, a visiting fellow at the Queensland University of Technology, and fellow clinical psychologist Dr Danielle Einstein.

“Children with access to a personal device prevents them from fully experiencing the full gamut of school experience, and learning to manage occasional anxiety or boredom,” Dr Locke and Dr Einstein said.