Last month Kāhui Ako (Communities of Learning) used movie vouchers to incentivise school attendance

The organisation which brings together education and training providers gave vouchers to children who reached a 90 percent attendance rate during Term 1.

“Primary schools in our collective had almost half of students achieve more than 90 percent school attendance,” Kāhui Ako lead teacher Debbie McKillop said.

“These are the students who have less than one day away from school in a fortnight, or two days in a month. Some of our students made it to 100 percent of their days at school. So, the schools here do celebrate that with those students and their whānau.”

At Ōpōtiki College most Year 9 and 10 students with better than 85 percent attendance during Term 1 were treated to a day at the swimming pools.

Students in the junior school and students in the Ringa Raupa course at Ōpōtiki College have the best attendance in college.

“It takes a village to raise a child and for our village, our children are our most valuable taonga. Today’s learners are tomorrow’s leaders. Being in school is the first step to learning,” Ms McKillop said.

“Term 2 is only 43 days of going to school and having less than five days away a term is good attendance. So, let’s aim for 40 out of 43 days this term.”

Ms McKIllop said the Ministry of Education was focussed on attendance reporting.

“They collect school statistics every day, so it's best if the caregivers contact the school right away to explain when their child is unwell or away from school. Once the data is in, the school must jump through a lot of hoops to explain that the student is not truant. We’re asking parents and care givers to keep in touch with their school.

She said Te Kura o Tōrere was trialling the Ministry’s new STAR reporting programme for attendance.

“It will be interesting for all our Kāhui Ako schools to learn from their experience reporting to parents and the ministry. We all know how life gets in the way and affects whānau, but communicating with your school helps your child to stay connected and make progress.

“School and whānau conversations are the beginning of the big challenging jigsaw called life, so let’s encourage one another to keep students coming to school.”