Research links recess, peer networks and school belonging
Australian school attendance has dropped from 91.3% to 85.7% over six years, and EduMarking argues one overlooked part of the response sits outside the classroom: the playground.
The company cited Grattan Institute’s 2025 policy brief, which found 11% of students who should be in class are absent on any given school day. It also pointed to PISA data showing student belonging in Australian schools has been falling since 2003.
According to the OECD’s 2026 report Every Day Counts, supportive school climates, strong belonging and stable peer networks can protect against chronic absence. EduMarking says policy discussions on attendance have not linked those factors to the physical school yard.
Research on recess backs that claim. A 2025 study in Early Childhood Education Journal found break times help children build social skills and peer relationships tied to belonging.
ABS data shows sedentary break times
At the same time, ABS data shows children spend 46.6% of break time sedentary on unmarked hard surfaces. EduMarking argues bare asphalt creates fewer chances for children to mix, join games and form routines with other students.
Director Sally Reiter said: “Belonging is not built in assembly. It is built at lunchtime, on the yard, through the games and routines that children develop with each other.”
She argued simple yard features can help start those interactions. Reiter said game markings can give children a reason to gather, while buddy benches and quiet zones can show who needs company and make the space easier to use for more students.
EduMarking installs activity markings, buddy benches, friendship seats and quiet zone designations at schools. Reiter described those additions as “the cheapest belonging infrastructure a school can install”.
The company says it has worked with more than 10,000 schools worldwide. Its heat-applied thermoplastic markings are rated to last seven years or more, and most installations take one to three days during school holidays.
EduMarking’s position is that schools can weaken classroom wellbeing programs if they leave play areas unchanged. The company argues the yard shapes the social experiences that help protect students from chronic absence.
