Hamilton's truancy-attendance service, SASH, will close its doors this month after the Ministry of Education announced a new, integrated attendance service would roll out in schools from next year.
The new service will combine the District Truancy Service (DTS) and Non-Enrolled Truancy Service (NETS). An aim of integrating DTS and NETS is to create a system that captures consistent data and information management. The new service aims to support schools to manage attendance, reduce unjustified absences and reduce non-enrolment.
SASH manager Jim Church said the Ministry of Education believed "we weren't reducing truancy rates enough to satisfy them". He said a case study of truancy services in 2009 revealed changes that could be made to DTS.
But three years on, Mr Church says nobody in their wildest dreams would have thought [the ministry] would disestablish DTS full stop.
"It's taken them until now to come up with a model of how they want the new system to work. I guess if you have faith in the Minister of Education you'd say they have made the right decision to implement this new scheme."