The next Minister of Education has one job at the top of her list. Get kids back into the classroom in front of their teachers. Unless New Zealand tackles record poor attendance and truancy levels, lost education time is a ticking timebomb for students, families, employers and the wider economy.   

Election campaign education policies so far have covered many topics from cell phone bans, school choice and reform, teachers’ pay, curriculum content, free school lunches and other policy, but new ideas are moot if students aren’t turning up to class.

We call it straight

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