Face of the Day

Schools will no longer be able to hold teacher-only days during term time and parents of students absent for 15 days could be prosecuted, the Government has announced.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced the new truancy crackdown on Thursday, at the same time Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Government would take funding to help teach te reo and “reprioritise” it.

Seymour called it the “Star system”, which stands for “Stepped Attendance Response” to catch truant students and put them back in school, starting in 2026.

If a student was absent for five days, the school would contact their parents to find out why and “set expectations”. After 10 days, senior leadership would be involved, and after 15 days parents could be prosecuted.

Seymour called on schools to stop using “teacher only days” during term time to set a good example for their students.

The Press