Associate Education Minister David Seymour says new rules from 2026 could see parents prosecuted. Video / Alyse Wright, Carson Bluck
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has condemned a school climate protest planned for tomorrow, saying students should be in school learning and it could’ve waited until school holidays.
It comes after Seymour today spoke to media about what he called the country’s “truancy crisis”, saying there would be no more teacher-only days during term time and schools would need to implement a truancy plan.
In a statement this evening, the Act leader said students should be in school and learning instead of protesting during school hours, in response to a school climate strike planned for Friday.
The School Strike 4 Climate NZ (SS4C)-organised protest is set to take place in seven cities across New Zealand on Friday.
“This day of action is about more than just demanding climate justice – it is a stand for the right to a livable planet, for future generations, and for the sovereignty of marginalised communities,” a statement from the group read.
The group said they would be protesting for climate justice, abolishing the Fast-track Approvals Bill, upholding the Māori Version of the Treaty of Waitangi and in solidarity with Palestine.
Seymour said it has become “far too common” to sacrifice valuable learning time for other causes.
David Seymour announces the Stepped Attendance Response scheme policy on Thursday. Photo / Alyse Wright
“If students feel strongly about sending a message, they could have waited until Monday, when the end of term holidays begin and there is no school for two weeks.
“The previous government said that protesting instead of attending school could be justified. This in my view is unacceptable. My expectation is that schools will treat students protesting tomorrow as explained but unjustified absences,” Seymour said.
In response to Seymour’s comments, SS4C spokesperson Kereama Allen told the Herald it motivated students more to strike.
“I would say that this just goes to show that this Government does not care about rangatahi’s (young people) voice in Aotearoa New Zealand. It shows that they have no intention to listen to us.
“Now is a crucial time to strike because if we want results with this new Government, we need to push as hard as possible to better our future,” Allen said.
Seymour said he appreciated some students have passionate views and are anxious about their futures.
“To that effect, I want to be clear, if they want to make real change in the world, they need to turn up to school and get a good education now.
“I encourage students, parents, and educators to prioritise education. That is what this Government is doing, and it is what is required for New Zealand to have a better future,” Seymour said.
The Ministry of Education today released new attendance data, showing a slight increase in the number of students attending classes regularly from 47.1% in Term 2, 2023 to 53.2% in Term 2, 2024.
Today, Seymour announced a new policy – the Stepped Attendance Response scheme or Star – which would be mandatory for allschools from the beginning of the 2026 school year.
He said it would place obligations on the school and parents to ensure their children were attending classes regularly.
Seymour provided examples of how the scheme could work, such as:
Five days absent: The school gets in touch with the parents/guardians to determine the reasons for absence and to set expectations.
10 days absent: The school leadership meets with the parents/guardian and the student to identify barriers to attendance and develop plans to address this.
15 days absent: Escalating the response to the ministry and steps to initiate prosecution of parents could be considered as a valid intervention.
Schools would develop their truancy plans with the Ministry of Education, attendance services and government and non-government agencies.
“Schools will have to play their part in setting a good example as well. This means not taking teacher-only days during term time,” Seymour said.
He added it had always been the policy that a school required permission from the Ministry of Education for a teacher-only day, he was only “enforcing it”.
Seymour said he reserved the right to look at an infringement scheme in the future if this approach did not work.
Seymour had also directed the Ministry of Education to take a more active role in the prosecution process.
