The Education Review Office (ERO) has declared New Zealand’s chronic absenteeism rates a crisis, with more than 80,000 students missing over three weeks of school during Term 2 this year.
In its latest report, Left Behind: How do we get our chronically absent students back to school?, the ERO reveals that chronic truancy has doubled in secondary schools and nearly tripled in primary schools over the past decade.
But, in Auckland, Sylvia Park School is defying the national trend under principal Thomas Bartlett’s leadership, showing a 6% increase in attendance since last year. “We provide food, we provide lunch, and we have a breakfast club here,” Bartlett explained.
“Also, we have house competitions that make coming to school fun and competitive.”
Bartlett (Ngāti Kahungunu) credits a supportive school culture where students motivate one another, as well as his commitment to reaching out personally to families whose children struggle with attendance.
“It’s not just the teachers telling kids to come to school every day; it’s the students themselves encouraging one another. That makes a difference,” he says.
Regular home visits also allow Bartlett to connect with families and understand their challenges. “I come in with a positive perspective, and then we start discussing why their children aren’t getting to school,” he shared.
The ERO has called for a preventive approach to absenteeism rather than relying solely on the Ministry of Education’s reactive Attendance Service. Caseloads can be overwhelming, with providers handling anywhere from 30 to over 500 cases.
Ruth Shinoda, head of the ERO’s Education Evaluation Centre, warned that “the number of students who are chronically absent from school is at crisis point and is damaging students’ futures”. She highlighted the long-term impacts of chronic absenteeism, including decreased educational achievement and increased vulnerability to crime and housing instability. Chronic absenteeism now affects one in 10 students, with contributing factors ranging from health issues to housing instability.
