This article reflects on the behaviour commonly known as "school refusal". After reviewing its established descriptions, the article argues for a different definition, namely "extended school non-attendance", which describes the visible behaviour neutrally, aims to direct one's attention to the school environment, and stresses its persistent nature. The article scrutinises dominant and alternative discourses on school non-attendance in Western and Japanese societies. Finally, it reviews some of the assessment tools and intervention strategies used to support school non-attenders, their families and their schools, to redress this behaviour. (Contains 1 figure.)