Forced Absenteeism in our Schools – and the impact on Learning and Families.

The attendance data that Associate Minister of Education, Jan Tinetti, stated was the most important in terms of policy impact was the Term 2 data this year:

Full attendance is 90%.

Results for full attendance were:

Decile 1: 23%

Decile 2: 26%

Decile 3: 31%

Decile 4: 37%

Decile 5: 39%

Decile 6: 39%

Decile 7: 43%

Decile 8: 46%

Decile 9: 48%

Decile 10: 50%

All deciles were well down on previous years.

There were approximately 128,000 students “chronically” absent in that they missed 30% or more school days.
Going to school either matters or it doesn’t. Schools, teachers and the Ministry of Education says that it matters and data certainly supports that view. You would think then it would be all hands on deck to maximise students coming to school in these fractured times.
So – I have been somewhat stunned to hear from a range of families where schools have taken 12, or more teacher only days (TODs), this year. All children are marked present for these but it is, in effect, forced absenteeism. The TODs are also rarely coordinated so a working parent, with three children, could have had up to 36 days to revamp their lives for. I am hearing of working people who have used up all of their annual leave through the impact of TODs. Some schools retort that “they are not a baby-sitting service”. No one expects them to be – just that when schools are “open” and during term time that children should be able to go and be well taught.

Add to that the full-on round of paid union meetings at present …

Is it any wonder that so many children/families are seeing school as an option not an imperative?