The third of a five-part series looking at our neediest children. Education reporter Elizabeth Binning reports on how we are coping with transience.
It used to be a struggle getting 6-year-old twins Latisha and Ashanti out of bed in the morning - so sometimes it was just easier to give them the day off school.
Other days, their 25-year-old mother Ana didn't have any way of getting the girls to school, or they were just too sick to go.
The result was evident in the twins' learning - they were well behind and as a result didn't enjoy school much.
It was only this year, when staff and health associates of Ranui School in Waitakere City visited Ana, offered her help and explained the impact absenteeism was having on her girls, that things started to change.
"I kind of really felt bad because it was my fault they weren't going to school," she said. "Sometimes they didn't want to get out of bed and I wouldn't make them."
The family are one of around 60 Ranui School is working with in an attempt to improve absenteeism.
Deputy principal Jenny Coutts started looking into the problem last year and decided there had to be a better way of dealing with it than just sending a letter home.
Because many of the families didn't have phone lines, she made personal visits and found many of the absent children had health issues such as asthma. They came from families struggling with poverty, poor housing and a lack of money for food and medicine. Many were transient and moved frequently when money ran out.
To combat the problems, Ms Coutts and public health nurse Anne Sisam joined forces and have worked with the families to give them whatever they need in order to get their kids back into school.
"If it's food, we'll give them food. If it's clothing, there's a clothing programme," said Ms Coutts.
Ms Sisam helps with medical needs, providing dressings and advice, and has assisted families with filling in application forms for benefits or applying for bigger Housing NZ homes.
So far, only one of the families has failed to engage with the school. A large majority of the others are success stories, with attendance improving so markedly in 53 per cent of the cases that letters of commendation have been sent home.
One such example is a couple with six children who are sharing a house with relatives. Two of the children were regularly failing to attend school - one had attended only 15 days of the entire first term.
Like many of the school's parents, the mother didn't realise the impact the days off were having on her children's learning.
"Sometimes ... they actually don't realise how many days they [the kids] are having off," said Ms Sisam.
The family were helped with health and housing issues and shown how to encourage the children to attend school using a starchart/reward system.
"They haven't missed a day since we did that," said Ms Coutts.
As for the twins - who now have grommets, thanks to Ms Sisam - things are looking brighter and they even rush to do their homework each day. "They have been going to school every day," said Ana, "and they love it."
SEEKING ANSWERS
Saturday: Alternative education.
Teens in Third World schooling
When the mainstream model doesn't fit
A far better alternative to dropping out
Monday: Truancy and dropouts.
School dropout levels fall over past 10 years
Tuesday: Issues of transience.
Message sinking in: switching schools bad for kids
Absenteeism often cry for help
Transient students struggle to catch up
Wednesday: Who kicks kids out?
Second chance works well for student
Expulsion seen as tool of last resort
Aorere strives to improve record
Thursday: What can be done?
Help for those who fall through cracks
Trust moves in well before students get out of control
Schools can't do it all on their own
