New term, same story; attendance up again
New Zealand’s school attendance rose in Term 3 2026 despite a severe flu season, reaching its highest rate since 2022, the Associate Education Minister reports.
Provisional data for Term 3 2026 shows 52.2% of students met the regular attendance threshold, up from 50.5% in the same term last year. Associate Education Minister David Seymour attributed the rise to government-led attendance initiatives, including mandatory school attendance management plans. The increase occurred despite a challenging flu season, reversing a 1.2% drop seen in Term 3 2025 under similar conditions.
The Government has invested $140 million in Budget 2025 to improve attendance over the next four years, reallocating resources to attendance services. Reviews by the Ministry of Education and Education Review Office in 2024 found previous systems were inefficient and ineffective. New contracts and increased support have doubled the reach of attendance services, enabling better case management and data-driven interventions.
Every school is now required to implement an attendance management plan with escalating responses for declining attendance. These plans aim to identify and address attendance issues early, supported by improved funding and accountability measures. The Government highlights that schools leading this work have seen measurable improvements in student attendance rates.
The Minister set a 2030 target for 80% of students to attend school more than 90% of the time, framing attendance as critical to learning, health, and future opportunities. Comparisons exclude 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 lockdown recording methods. The Government asserts its initiatives are delivering results and expects continued progress.