- By Simeon Brown, MP for Pakuranga
New school attendance data shows that only 40 per cent of students attended school regularly in term two this year, a shocking number that suggests the majority of Kiwi kids are not getting a proper education.
With around 100,000 kids still chronically absent from school, meaning they are missing three out of every 10 days, it’s no wonder numeracy and literacy rates are falling too.
At decile 1 schools, the numbers are even worse, with more than three quarters of students not regularly at school.
There is a clear correlation between attendance and achievement; only 2 per cent of decile 1 high school students can pass a basic writing test.
Research shows that every day of school missed has a negative impact on learning, with kids that don’t regularly attend five times more likely to fall behind in those key areas of reading, writing and maths.
The education system under Labour is failing our children and importantly it is failing our most disadvantaged children.
Instead of accepting a problem exists, and coming up with solutions to fix it, Labour continues to make excuses, blaming the most recent data on seasonal illness.
Sadly, this just doesn’t hold up, with comparable data from other developed nations showing higher attendance rates than ours, and higher achievement rates.
We are falling behind. Just five years ago New Zealand was renowned for its world-class education system, with parents from all over the world wanting their children to study here to receive a better education.
Education should be one of the Government’s top priorities and National strongly believes that this is key to dealing with just about every other challenge we face.
If elected next year, we will relentlessly target attendance and achievement rates and shift resources from back-office bureaucrats in Wellington to the frontline so schools have the support they need to give every child the opportunity to benefit from a world-class education.
This is not just a failure in education, this is a future economic crisis and it must be dealt with now.
