20th April 2026
New school attendance data shows a modest improvement in overall attendance rates, but little movement in chronic absence. The figures, discussed by Associate Education Minister David Seymour, draw on official Ministry of Education attendance data collected through national reporting systems.
What the data actually shows
According to Ministry of Education figures, regular attendance reached 57.3 percent in Term 4 2025. This is an increase from 56.4 percent in 2024 and a significant lift from 48.7 percent in 2022.
Regular attendance is defined as students attending more than 90 percent of the school term, based on national attendance surveys.
This shows a clear upward trend in overall attendance, with around 135,000 more students attending regularly compared to 2022.
Chronic absence still a key issue
Despite these gains, the proportion of chronically absent students has not significantly improved. Chronic absence is defined as attending school 70 percent or less of the time, based on Ministry of Education attendance measures.
This category remains a concern because it represents the students most at risk of disengagement and poorer educational outcomes. The lack of movement suggests that while more students are attending more often, those with the most serious attendance issues are not being reached by current interventions.
Why the gap matters
The difference between improving averages and unchanged chronic absence highlights a structural issue within the system. Broad improvements in attendance can mask the fact that a smaller group of students continues to miss large amounts of school.
Previous analysis from the Education Review Office has also found that chronic absence is linked to wider system challenges, including delayed intervention, gaps in support services, and difficulties identifying and addressing the underlying causes of non-attendance.
Government response and next steps
The Government has introduced a range of measures aimed at lifting attendance, including attendance management plans for schools and increased monitoring of daily attendance data.
While early data show some improvement, the figures reinforce that addressing chronic absence remains a more complex challenge.
A continuing challenge for the system
The latest data shows attendance is trending upward overall, but progress is uneven. The ongoing level of chronic absence indicates that current approaches are having a limited impact on the students most at risk.
As attendance initiatives continue, the focus is likely to remain on how to better target support and intervention to reduce persistent absence rather than relying on overall averages alone.
