10 Oct 2025

School truancy jumping before school holidays

From Checkpoint, 4:10 pm on 10 October 2025

Hundreds of thousands of students are skipping out on school early, as school attendance rates drop sharply in the days leading up to school holidays. It is thought cheaper airfares and accommodation are driving parents to let their children play truant. Auckland's St Peters College headmaster, James Betley spoke to Lisa Owen.