November 15, 2022
Off days bad start for education
The Education Review Office is sounding the alarm about falling attendance numbers.
Ruth Shinoda, the head of the ERO’s Te Ihuwaka Education Evaluation Centre, says even before Covid only two out of five Maori students regularly went to school.
That’s despite parents saying they value education.
“So for Maori whanau, nine out of 10 said education was really important but what they are not seeing is how going to school every day is really important for achieving in education. There’re a bit of a disconnect. So for example a third of Maori learners don’t think going all the time is that important, and that’s one of the things we have to change, help them see going to school is important and helps them achieve what they want in life,” Ms Shinoda says.
Four out of 10 parents surveyed said they would be happy for their tamariki to miss a week or more school a term but this adds up to a whole year of school missed by the age of 16.
She says Maori kids in particular are motivated to go to school for sports and clubs, and schools may want to emphasise these activities.