Presence, Participation and Progress
The importance of student attendance and engagement in education.
The past few years have created signi icant challenges for education across the country. More than ever, the attendance and engagement of our tamariki in education is vitally important. Students need to be present in our early learning services, school and kura, participating in education, and making progress in order to receive the education that they deserve, from early learning right through to employment.
There’s nothing like a pandemic to make us feel like we are all in the waka together.
Whichever way you look at it, there is no denying that the Covid-19 experience has provoked debates, surfaced issues, and presented opportunities regarding remote styles of learning
Connection and collaboration in early learning and school, founded on strong relationships, is having a valuable impact on attendance and engagement of our tamariki. Across Tai Tokerau, schools, kura, ngā Kohanga reo and early learning centres are exploring innovative ways to engage and retain students in education, working with whanau, hapu and iwi. We are hearing inspiring stories of resourceful teachers and resilient families meeting the challenges head on and ensuring that students are continuing to learn.
Increasing access to early learning services in remote regions in Tai Tokerau has been a focus, with Targeted Assistance to Participation (TAP) funding used to boost participation rates by increasing capacity in the region. Over 150 child spaces have been created in targeted areas around Tai Tokerau, including the development of a full immersion Māori language centre that caters for tamariki with additional learning needs. Removing access barriers to early learning for our tamariki is critical when aiming to increase participation at an early age.
Addressing access barriers have needed creative problem solving for school aged students also. During the pandemic school aged tamariki were required to stay at home due to illness or isolation requirements, requiring schools to provide learning experiences for students while they were at home. We termed this Hybrid Learning, which may have been new to schools and families, and much of the related development occurred as it evolved in real time.
Needing to know more to make Hybrid Learning practice effective and sustainable into the future, trials have begun in Tai Tokerau, with one early learning centre and six schools involved. With the aim of ensuring continuity of learning for students regardless of whether they are on or off a school site, the trials help retain key lessons learned during the pandemic. These trials also support stronger relationships with whānau, connecting them and their tamariki with real-time learning. The potential for further collaboration between early learning, schools and kura beyond the trials will also positively contribute to a more seamless transition for tamariki as they leave early learning and enter school.
Relationships are featuring heavily in transition work being completed at the other end of the student schooling journey. Events such as the recent E2E Speed Meet Event (pictured) bring together potential
employers and students looking to explore career pathways beyond secondary school. Businesses are also supporting initiatives in schools aimed at getting students excited about careers in STEAM industries (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). Local events such as a recent STEAM camp at Morningside School supported (pictured) offer students a chance to experiment with future-focused technologies and engage in authentic problem-solving.
Keeping students excited about their learning is hugely important, particularly when the focus is on improving attendance. Wellbeing and achievement are linked and reinforce each other. Student wellbeing is
both important in its own right, because it is a key factor in enabling learning to occur.
A recent initiative is the “Let’s Get to School - Tai Tokerau’ ‘E Te Tai Tokerau Hoake tātou ki te kura” campaign.
The campaign is a regional collective, collaboration with principal leaders, ministry staff ‘doing whatever it takes’ to get our students back to school. The campaign involved the development of a social media pack with photos and messaging informed by local students to use on their social media platforms.
Social media has been a key factor in reaching whānau and students, with schools all receiving a social media kit to launch their campaigns and share their success stories. Schools have utilised student voice to carry their message – that presence at school is important, that they miss their mates, that schools are wanting to help and support where they can.
Ministry of Education attendance data for the week starting August 8 – the week the campaign launched - shows 79.2 per cent of students in Northland were attending school. As of the week starting September 5 that number increased to 81 per cent - an increase of about 493 students, about 2.5 average sized Northland schools.
Ultimately, as we look towards the future of education here in Tai Tokerau, the messages remain the same – Presence, Participation and Progress matter. Relationships and connection underpin these three goals, and will support positive outcomes for our students, now and into the future.