Term Two Attendance Data

School attendance, or lack thereof, was a hot media topic last week with the release of national data from term two this year.  While reasons for non-attendance can be complex, the simple reality is that if students are not at school they cannot learn and there is a strong link between attendance and achievement - students who regularly attend school achieve at higher levels and are more likely to gain formal NCEA qualifications than students with lower levels of attendance.

In term one this year 76.8% of Palmerston North Boys' High School students were considered by the Ministry of Education to be regularly attending school - they were present 90% of the time.  In term two the figure for regular attendance fell to 64.3%, a considerable drop and one that will have negatively affected young men's progress and achievement.  As a school, we believe that even 90% attendance is a low target as this is the equivalent of being absent from school one day every fortnight, a much higher level of absence than would be tolerated in the workplace.

However, we are pleased that our attendance data for term two compares favourably to data for single-sex boys' schools, the wider region (Taranaki/Whanganui/Manawatu) and nationally as well as with all ethnic groups (see the graphs at the top of this article and below).  Lifting student attendance rates has been a focus for 2023 and will remain so for 2024.  Regular school attendance is essential if young men are to achieve their potential.  Please continue to make school the priority for your son.