New term, same story; attendance up again

Provisional school attendance data for Term 3 2026 shows despite a tough flu season in person attendance rates were the highest of any Term 3 since 2022, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. In Term 3 2026, 52.2% of students met the criteria for regular attendance, representing a 1.7 percentage point increase from 50.5% in Term 3 2025. A student attends school ‘regularly’ when they are in class for more than 90 per cent of the term. “This data shows attendance rates continue to rise under this Government. We are focussed on fixing what matters, and few things are as important as school attendance," Mr Seymour says. "When the Government takes attendance seriously, so do students and their families and care givers. That's the attitude we've taken to attendance during this difficult period. “In Term 3 2022 regular attendance was at 45.8 per cent. In Term 3 2026 about 53,000 more students attended school regularly than in Term 3 2022. Kiwi students are showing up to school more, and parents are pushing them to attend. Those students and parents should be proud. “The results speak for themselves. When faced with a tough flu season in Term 3 2025 attendance dropped 1.2 per ce

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