Rising fuel costs are adding another layer of complexity to an already challenging issue for schools across the country: student attendance. Attendance services are reporting concerns that increasing prices at the pump will exacerbate existing barriers to getting students to class, particularly for families facing economic hardship. The issue isn’t simply about reluctance to attend; it’s about the practical ability to overcome logistical hurdles, a problem that’s becoming increasingly acute as transportation expenses climb.
The concern comes as schools are still working to address learning loss and improve attendance rates following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent overhaul of attendance service contracts by the government aimed to improve support for chronically absent students, but providers are now bracing for a modern wave of challenges. The rising cost of living and specifically fuel, threatens to undo some of that progress, particularly in rural areas where distances to school are greater and public transportation options are limited.
In Northland, Ara Whakamaua, which supports 26 schools across the Hokianga and Kaipara regions, is already seeing the impact of transportation difficulties. Director Lisa Halvorson told reporters that the ability of families to afford reliable transportation – and the fuel to power it – is a significant obstacle. “We’re talking some distances of children having to travel 30 kilometres to get to the closest school one way,” she said. The organization typically works with over 500 students annually, achieving a 70-80% success rate in returning children to education or finding alternative options, but Halvorson anticipates that number could be affected by rising fuel costs.
Further north, in Auckland, the Mangere East Family Service Centre is grappling with similar issues. The centre, a new attendance service provider for 22 schools in the area, has been tasked with tracking down 400 children not currently enrolled in school, with approximately 230 of those cases being historical from the previous year. Chief Executive Caroline Tana-Tepania expressed surprise at the sheer scale of the problem, stating, “I knew that it was an issue, but I certainly wasn’t aware of the extent of the numbers.”
Beyond Fuel: A Complex Web of Barriers
Although rising fuel prices are a new and pressing concern, attendance services emphasize that transportation is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Anika Channa, who manages the nine-person attendance team at the Mangere East Family Service Centre, highlighted the multifaceted nature of student absenteeism. “In my experience, You’ll see a lot of factors as to why children are not going to school. It’s actually not just that they don’t want to go. There’s barriers like transport, housing, health,” she explained. The centre’s approach now involves greater collaboration with other social services to address these underlying issues and provide comprehensive support to families.
This collaborative approach is a key component of the government’s recent overhaul of attendance services. The new system emphasizes the role of “attendance navigators” who maintain contact with students after they return to school, proactively addressing any new obstacles that may arise. This allows for quicker intervention and prevents students from falling back into patterns of absenteeism. According to Channa, this proactive approach is a significant improvement over the previous system, which often relied on reactive referrals.
A particularly challenging group identified by the Mangere East Family Service Centre are students whose families have moved but continue to keep their children enrolled in their previous school. These families often struggle with the daily commute, and the increased cost of fuel only exacerbates the problem. Finding these students and their families can also be difficult, often requiring attendance officers to rely on emergency contact information and extended family networks.
The Physical and Emotional Toll of Truancy
The impact of chronic truancy extends beyond academic performance. Channa noted that long-term truants often experience a decline in physical fitness, making the transition back to a full school day overwhelming. “Going straight back into school for five days is just so much for them, it’s incredibly overwhelming,” she said. She described a phenomenon where students spend extended periods “bed surfing,” leading to fatigue and difficulty adjusting to the demands of a school environment. Consistency and support, or “awhi” as it’s known in Māori culture, are crucial for a successful return to education, she emphasized.
A New System, New Challenges
The government renegotiated 83 attendance service contracts last year, aiming to improve outcomes for chronically absent students. Ara Whakamaua, in Northland, has benefited from a new computer system that provides more accurate data on student attendance patterns, allowing them to target interventions more effectively. Halvorson reported that the new system is already showing positive results, with faster case closure rates. “In the past, we have just been chasing kids to look for them. Whereas now we actually have that last point of contact and we’ve got the ability then to see… a little bit of a pattern or to see how often they were attending and what that looked like. So it does make it so much easier,” she said.
Despite these improvements, the looming threat of rising fuel costs casts a shadow over these gains. The situation highlights the interconnectedness of education, poverty, and access to resources. Addressing student absenteeism requires a holistic approach that considers not only the individual challenges faced by students but also the broader economic and social factors that contribute to the problem.
Looking ahead, attendance services will continue to monitor the impact of fuel prices on student attendance and advocate for policies that support families in need. The Ministry of Education is expected to release updated attendance data later this year, which will provide a clearer picture of the challenges facing schools, and students. The ongoing success of the new attendance service model will depend on sustained funding and a commitment to addressing the root causes of absenteeism, including the rising cost of living and the barriers to transportation that prevent students from accessing education.
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