School Attendance Hits Highest Term 4 Levels Since 2022, Says Seymour

Seymour noted that regular attendance in Term 4 of 2022 stood at just 48.7%, meaning approximately 150,000 more students attended school regularly in Term 4 2025 than three years earlier.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has welcomed provisional Term 4 attendance data showing that school attendance rates have reached their highest levels for a fourth term since 2022, signalling what he describes as a sustained improvement under the current Government.

According to provisional figures, 57.3% of students attended school regularly in Term 4 of 2025, up from 56.4% in the same period in 2024. The data indicates a continued upward trend following sharp declines in attendance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This data shows attendance rates are rising again under this Government," Seymour said.

Significant Improvement Since 2022

Seymour noted that regular attendance in Term 4 of 2022 stood at just 48.7%, meaning approximately 150,000 more students attended school regularly in Term 4 2025 than three years earlier.

"Kiwi students are showing up to school more, and parents are pushing them to attend. Those students and parents should be proud," he said.

He added that when government places a strong emphasis on attendance, it drives behavioural change across schools, families and communities.

"When the Government takes attendance seriously, so do schools, parents and students. It's important we continue to drive this change in attitude towards attendance," Seymour said.

Regional Attendance Performance

The data shows notable regional variation, with Central and East Auckland recording the highest regular attendance rate at 62.5%. Otago/Southland followed closely at 62.4%, while North and West Auckland and Canterbury/Chatham Islands both recorded regular attendance rates of 61.7%.

Seymour said these figures demonstrate that improvement is possible across diverse regions when schools and families are supported with the right tools and expectations.

Attendance Management Plans Rolled Out Nationwide

Despite the progress, Seymour cautioned that attendance levels remain below where they need to be and said further improvements are expected as new initiatives are rolled out.

"Attendance rates are back on a steady upward trajectory. This is a good start, but there is still work to be done," he said.

A key component of the government's strategy is the requirement for every school to develop and implement an Attendance Management Plan (AMP), setting out clear and escalating responses to declining attendance.

Under the AMP framework:

• After five days absent, schools will contact parents or guardians to establish reasons for absence and reinforce expectations.

• After ten days absent, school leadership will meet with the student and their parents or guardians to identify barriers and develop intervention plans.

• After fifteen days absent, cases may be escalated to an Attendance Service Provider. Continued non-attendance or non-enrolment could ultimately result in prosecution of parents.

End-of-Term Absences a Growing Concern

Seymour highlighted end-of-term absenteeism as a persistent challenge, noting that taking time off at the end of the school term is just as harmful as poor attendance throughout the year.

Using the Daily Attendance Dashboard, the Ministry calculated an average daily attendance rate of 86.4% during the first ten weeks of Term 4. However, attendance dropped sharply to 68.1% during the final week.

While the dataset for the final week was smaller due to some schools closing early, Seymour said the figures indicate that attendance was not treated as a priority.

"Missing the last week of school would result in a response under the school's attendance management plan," he said.

Increased Funding and Stronger Accountability

Seymour said frontline attendance services are now more accountable, better resourced and increasingly data-driven. Attendance Service Providers now have access to a new case management system, improved data monitoring tools and more closely monitored contracts.

Budget 2025 allocated an additional $140 million over four years to improve school attendance nationwide.

Attendance Key to Long-Term Outcomes

The Minister emphasised that improving attendance is foundational to improving long-term social and economic outcomes.

"Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes. Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, greater job stability and stronger participation in communities," Seymour said.

"These are opportunities that every student deserves."