Record high attendance rates achieved in Term 3.
The New Zealand government's efforts to improve student attendance have shown positive results. According to a recent release, school attendance rates have increased for the third consecutive term in 2024. In Term 3, 51.3% of students attended school regularly, marking a 5.3 percentage point increase from 46% in Term 3 of 2023.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour attributed the rise to the government's focus on student attendance and its positive impact on educational outcomes. "Getting your children to school is the best thing you can do to ensure they have a bright future," he said, highlighting the benefits of regular attendance on health, income, job stability, and community participation.
The data shows that all education regions experienced an increase in regular attendance rates. Central and East Auckland and North and West Auckland demonstrated the largest increases with 7.1% and 6.9 percentage points respectively. Notably, schools facing socioeconomic barriers also saw a rise in regular attendance rates, with an increase of 4.7 percentage points.
The government aims to achieve an 80% student attendance rate by 2030, and these latest figures suggest that efforts are on track to meet this target.