29158 (2025). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Associate Minister of Education

29158 (2025). Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan to the Associate Minister of Education: How many schools, if any, have confirmed that they have implemented and are using the new attendance traffic light system; listed by number of schools confirmed to have implemented and using the new system?

Hon David Seymour: I am advised by the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) that the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) sets expectations for schools, students, parents/guardians, the Ministry and broader system responses to student absence. Under the STAR framework, any student who reaches a clearly defined threshold of days absent will trigger an appropriate and proportionate response. I am also advised that the information the Ministry currently holds on school implementation of the Stepped Attendance Response has been collected through self-report as part of a termly check in, undertaken by regional staff with schools. Of the 2064 schools who indicated that they were using a stepped or tiered attendance response, 1,396 schools self-reported that they were using the STAR or a similar framework, and 668 self-reported that they are using STAR but have adapted it to their own approach.