School attendance officers fail to attend

School truancy officers in indigenous communities are themselves failing attendance.

The officers, part of the federal government's push to get indigenous kids into classrooms, have been failing to turn up and collect children from their homes.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet confirmed to a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Friday it was a "reasonably significant" issue because many officers were from the community development program and had been long-term unemployed.