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Summarised by Centrist
The Ministry of Education says some children have returned to school following warnings that their parents could face prosecution under the Government’s tougher truancy stance.
About 15 cases are now being considered for possible court action.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced the crackdown in May. Parents face fines of $30 a day, up to $300 for a first offence, and as much as $3000 for repeat cases.
A new Education Review Office (ERO) report shows regular attendance has climbed to 60 percent – the highest since 2020. The Government’s goal is to lift that to 80 percent by 2030.
Seymour said “For some parents, the threat of prosecution will be enough to make them take attendance seriously. For others, it will take actual prosecution.”
Ministry operations leader Sean Teddy said that while no cases have been confirmed yet, several are being reviewed. “There have already been cases where the deterrent effect of a potential prosecution has resulted in children being re-enrolled and attending school,” he said.
Teddy described the cases as “long-running, complex and challenging,” involving multiple agencies. He said that prosecution remains a last resort, pursued only after all other efforts to re-engage families have failed.
Seymour said the policy is about fairness and accountability. “Once the first prosecutions are made, I suspect others will change their minds,” he said.
