I'm a bit confused about the wording around students having to ask for leave from University.

Here in Australia, we have lectures, tutorials (which are more like classes) and assessment. Professors (we usually call them lecturers) can take attendance at tutorials and assign a percentage of your final grade to it, but it's not like a job where you have to call in if you're not going to come; you just don't turn up. Only two of my classes in either of my degrees counted attendance for marks.

For the easier classes you could (and people do) just not show up to classes and hand in the assessment before the due date, and still pass.

So is it like high school for you guys where you actually have to have an excuse for not attending?