Strategy to lift school attendance and engagement
The Government has released an Attendance and Engagement Strategy that outlines a community-wide response to get learners going to school more regularly and being present, 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 today 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 in English [PDF, 2.5 MB]
Read a summary of the Attendance and Engagement strategy in Te reo [PDF, 405 KB]
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