The NSW education minister is facing calls to scrap a “reckless” plan to replace specialist teachers – credited with keeping students engaged in school – with inexperienced “clerks.”

More than 100 home school liaison officers across NSW were told on Thursday their roles had been reclassified for the first time in 40 years, with the option to reapply or return to the classroom.

The specialist teachers work with families and schools across NSW to re-engage students when other approaches have failed, and have been credited with helping the state achieve the nation’s highest attendance rate.

But, the Department of Education’s Centre for Statistics and Evaluation found the program needed a clearer focus on evolving student needs, particularly to better support the most disadvantaged.

Under the proposed changes specialised attendance staff require skills in social work, case management, child protection and cross-agency co-ordination.

New staff will require a diploma or degree in social work, community services, youth work, education, psychology, counselling or a human services related field.

NSW Teachers Federation deputy president Natasha Watt said given the program’s success the decision was shortsighted and ill-informed.

Ms Watt said the teachers were devastated because they delivered nation-leading work, which kept high numbers of children in school.

She said their work changed whether students actually went to school or not and the Department of Education should not be messing with a program that had changed and improved attendance.

“What the department should do is strengthen the program improvements,” she said.

“They have not revealed any evidence to us or our members that suggest that what they are proposing will result in outcomes of improvement and improve school attendance for young people.

“This is a winning formula that is delivering results in very difficult circumstances. To fiddle with a proven, nation-leading success is reckless and unwarranted.

“The Department has made a big mistake here but it’s not too late to fix it. We urge the Minister to intervene and reverse this.”

Education Minister Prue Carr said NSW had one of the highest rates of school attendance in Australia, but the small number of students who experienced complex and chronic non-attendance needed more specialist support.

“We are introducing a specialist workforce with the right skills in social work and co-ordinated family support which will give vulnerable students the help they need to re-engage with their education and set themselves up for future success,” she said.

The Department of Education has been contacted for comment.