School attendance in New Zealand, measured by the 90% rule, reveals concerning trends. Since 2015, attendance has been steadily declining, with a significant drop observed across all four terms in 2022. Term 3, 2023, saw attendance at just 46%, mirroring the figure from the previous year and marking a considerable drop from 2019, 2020, and 2021 term 3 attendance levels.
Key questions arise, including how various factors, such as the COVID-19 response, education policies, teacher strikes, school closures, cost of living pressures, and other social influences, contribute to declining attendance.
