Strategy to lift school attendance and engagement

A new Attendance and Engagement Strategy has been launched by the Government to outline a community-wide response to get absent students back into school, participating and making progress.

Attendance has been declining since 2015 across all year levels, deciles, ethnicities, and regions; with the Covid-19 pandemic compounding the problem, especially among younger learners.

Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said we all share the responsibility and have a role to play to reverse this trend and lift it back up to 70 percent of kids attending regularly by 2024 – that’s attending 90 percent or more of school hours, or the equivalent of nine out of 10 days. 

“Parents and whānau are responsible for getting their children to attend and participate, while schools and kura have to be places where our tamariki and ākonga feel they are safe and belong.”

The strategy is the response to a recent Inquiry report from the Education and Workforce Select Committee; and provides the framework for a nationwide campaign to lift attendance and engagement.

Our regional Te Mahau teams will support schools and kura to work more closely across government agencies and with their communities – including Māori, Pacific and disabled learners – to design local solutions.

Read the Attendance and Engagement strategy