Friday-itis absenteeism is rampant

The finger can be pointed squarely at parents for Friday absenteeism. (Image: Getty)

Tue, 23 Jul 2024

One hundred and eighty-nine thousand students, equivalent to the population of Hamilton, took the last day of term two off. Friday-itis absenteeism is rampant, not just on the final day of term. School habits morph into work ones.When I see outcomes like that, I continue to ponder where the New Zealand economy will be in 20 years if those attitudes to schooling continue and we do not see some huge changes quickly.The most recent OECD Economic Survey of NZ pointed to declining school achievement between 2006 and 2018, which affected productivity...

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