Attendance registers
This guidance provides schools with information about applying to use an electronic attendance register. If schools are not using an approved electronic attendance register, they must use an E19/1 manual attendance register.
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Schools must keep attendance registers on either a E19/1 manual attendance register, or on an approved electronic attendance register. Boards are required to keep these roll records for seven years.
- Daily attendance registers
- Apply to use an electronic register
- Attendance code resources
- Filling in an E19/1 manual attendance register
- Further information
Daily attendance registers
Daily attendance registers, whether electronic or manual, are official documents. They record your school's roll number and the year level of students.
Your board has a legal obligation to keep its attendance registers for seven years.
Archiving and disposing of school records
Apply to use an electronic register
Your board needs Ministry of Education approval to use an electronic attendance register (eAR).
To apply for approval, complete and submit the following form.
Electronic attendance register application form [PDF, 175 KB]
Education Circular 2010/19 provides more information about the:
- process for applying, and
- application form.
Circular 2010/19 – Electronic attendance registers (eAR)
Attendance code resources
The following resources are available to provide guidance on applying attendance codes.
- Definitions of attendance codes plus guidance on attendance codes during COVID-19 and includes example scenarios when applying specific codes.
Attendance Codes and Guidance [PDF, 424 KB] - Definitions of attendance codes
Attendance code explanations 2022 (October) [PDF, 182 KB] - Summary document showing the decision tree for applying attendance codes. You will need to download this document before you can hover the mouse cursor over the individual codes along the bottom of the page to see more information about each code.
Attendance code tree with hover-over labels [PDF, 638 KB] - This version is double-sided A3 and in colour – print it off as a handy reference guide. Note, this document contains the same information at the attendance code tree file above.
Printable attendance code tree [PDF, 580 KB]
Filling in an E19/1 manual attendance register
Your school must use an E19/1 attendance register to record attendance if you don't have approval to use an electronic attendance register.
Education Circular 1997/24 provides more information about using an E19/1 manual attendance register.
Education Circular 1997/24 – Register of daily attendance at all schools
Printable version of E19/1 manual attendance register and instructions
E19/1 manual attendance register [PDF, 3.9 MB]
How to print the E19/1 manual attendance register [DOCX, 68 KB]
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