Additional concerns: exclusion, incentives, and family rights
Added to the petition:
Additional concerns: exclusion, incentives, and family rights
Many schools are now using attendance percentages to determine access to awards, leadership roles, trips, school balls and other opportunities. Some NZ schools have begun using rewards like vouchers, prize draws, and treats to boost attendance, a practice reported by Stuff and reflected in school Attendance Management Plans. Parents have also shared examples of Prezzy cards being used, highlighting how incentives can sometimes put pressure on kids whose absences are due to genuine wellbeing needs.
This creates a system of coercive attendance pressure that rewards the healthy and punishes the unwell. Children with medical needs, anxiety, disabilities, or unavoidable absences are being sidelined and publicly marked as “less deserving,” despite doing nothing wrong.
Families also deserve the right to take children out of school for meaningful life experiences such as travel, cultural events, reconnecting with whānau, or important family commitments. These experiences enrich children’s lives and contribute to learning in ways that cannot be measured by attendance percentages. Families should not be penalised for providing their children with valuable real‑world learning opportunities.
A wellbeing‑focused education system should never exclude children from opportunities they have earned simply because they were sick or participating in family life.
Government plans to redefine justified vs unjustified absences
Recent legislative changes indicate that the Government intends to centralise control over what counts as a justified or unjustified absence. Under the Education and Training Act amendments, the Government has signalled that principals may lose their discretion to justify absences based on context, wellbeing, bullying, neurodiversity, or family circumstances. Instead, national rules would dictate which absences are acceptable.
This shift risks removing the flexibility schools currently have to support children compassionately. Absences that were previously considered justified may soon be classified as unjustified, pushing families into Attendance Management Plans or truancy pathways even when they are acting responsibly. A one‑size‑fits‑all definition of “justified” does not reflect the realities of children’s health, mental wellbeing, or family life.
• Prevent schools from using attendance percentages to exclude students from events, awards, or opportunities
• Recognise family rights to meaningful time away from school for cultural, personal, or educational experiences
• Maintain school‑level discretion for justified absences so children are not harmed by rigid national rules