On any given school day in some remote indigenous communities every third classroom seat is empty.
Compare that with most schools in urban Australia where nine out of 10 seats are occupied.
Making up the difference has become a personal mission for Tony Abbott, who wants to enlist the support of every teacher and every education department.
In the prime minister's eyes failing to give children the education they need for a decent life is one of the worst forms of neglect.
"Our job is to break the tyranny of low expectations," Abbott told parliament on Wednesday in his first Closing the Gap statement.
To do that he has set himself a big challenge with a new target: ending the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous school attendance rates within five years.
Reaching the target is likely to have flow-on effects by improving literacy and numeracy skills as well as employment rates which are lagging badly behind targets set in 2009.
"We are a great country ... but we will never be all that we should, until we do better in this," Abbott said.
Warren Mundine, Abbott's right-hand man on indigenous policy, believes if the "war" on truancy can be won then many other problems will be resolved as well.
He's pushing for 100 per cent attendance rate but admits 91 per cent is a more realistic target.
One option is the modernisation of traditional rite-of-passage ceremonies which usually occur when indigenous kids turn 13 or 14.
Mundine is in discussions with elders about tying ceremonies to the school system so you don't become an adult until you graduate from school.
Bilingual education and hearing health are other important factors in overcoming poor school attendance rates, Mundine believes.
Abbott recognised the importance of language in his statement, citing the example of Aurukun where a strong education in traditional culture was actually helped by a good education in English.
Right around our country, it should be possible to be proudly Aboriginal and a full participant in modern Australia, he said.
Aboriginal Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda, like many other indigenous leaders, is prepared to view Closing the Gap progress with reasonably optimistic eyes.
But while he cautions "our side" to be patient as long-term strategies kick in and take effect, he wants to start seeing some dramatic improvements.
Abbott says the challenge now is to turn good intentions into better outcomes.
"I am confident that, these days at least, for every one step backwards we are also taking two steps forward."
