Katherine Rich MP
National Party Education Spokeswoman

13 April 2007

Ministry "obstructive" over truancy stats

The Ministry of Education has finally admitted truancy numbers are rising and very few prosecutions are being brought, says National's Education spokeswoman, Katherine Rich.

In a Radio New Zealand interview this morning the Ministry's acting deputy secretary, Martin Connelly, was called 'obstructive' by the presenter for refusing to admit truancy numbers had increased by around 40% since 2001.

"Mr Connelly tried to spin the figures, using 2004 figures to minimise the increase, when there has been a clear upward trend since 2002.

"He admitted that, despite a considerable increase in funding to Truancy Services and a pilot project targeting the problem, 30,000 students were still wagging every week and only 21 had been prosecuted.

"Mr Connelly refused to take responsibility for the problem, instead blaming schools for not taking action against truants.

"However he did grudgingly admit that the Labour Government's $10 million dollar investment in truancy did not appear to be a raging success.

"Education Minister Steve Maharey needs to explain how, exactly, he is planning to stem this ever-increasing rise in unexplained student absences when, clearly, whatever is being done now is not working."

ENDS

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