Student attendance: Guide for parents and caregivers
Every single day counts towards your child’s learning at school and gives your child the best chance to gain qualifications and do well in life.
Parents’ and caregivers expectations
Ākonga | Students are legally required to attend school every day. Support is available for families of children who are struggling to attend.
- Parents play a big role in helping their child do well in school. You can do this by making sure your child goes to school every day and letting the school know if they’re sick.
- Parents must make sure children are enrolled and attend school every day.
- Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities are not
acceptable reasons for being absent.
What are my legal responsibilities as a parent or caregiver?
Regularly attending school helps students to get the most out of their education.
Children must be enrolled in a school. If they leave a school you need to make sure you enrol them in the new school right away.
You must let the school or kura know if your child is going to be absent for a day, or
intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure.
You are also responsible for letting the school know if your child is moving schools.
Tips for parents
Talk to your tamariki about why school is important, be positive about it, and help
them build good habits.
Student attendance: Guide for parents and caregivers
Every single day counts towards your child’s learning at school and gives your child
the best chance to gain qualifications and do well in life.
Parents and caregiver expectations
Ākonga | students are legally required to attend school every day. Support is available
for families of children who are struggling to attend.
- Parents play a big role in helping their child do well in school. You can do this by making sure your child goes to school every day and letting the school know if they’re sick.
- Parents must make sure children are enrolled and attend school every day.
- Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities are not acceptable reasons for being absent.
What are my legal responsibilities as a parent or caregiver?
Regularly attending school helps students to get the most out of their education.
Children must be enrolled in a school. If they leave a school you need to make sure you enrol them in the new school right away.
You must let the school or kura know if your child is going to be absent for a day, or
intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure.
You are also responsible for letting the school know if your child is moving schools.
Tips for parents
• Talk to your tamariki about why school is important, be positive about it, and help them build good habits.
• Schools and kura can help too. They should create a welcoming environment, have
clear rules about attendance, and support local activities that promote going to school.
• We know that families sometimes have problems, and that can make it hard to focus on school. But there’s help available.
• Schools and parents and caregivers should work in partnership to support tamariki
regularly attend school. If your children is reluctant to go to school and you’re having
trouble, talk to your school.
Getting help if your child is not attending regularly
We know there can be important reasons why children aren’t coming to school, such as long-term illness, bullying, or financial challenges for families. If your child is affected by any of these, talk to your school first. Your school will work with you to remove barriers to attending. There are many kinds of support available that might help make it easier for students to come to school. Your school might also connect you with other agencies or alternative education pathways.