Alwyn Poole: Is David Seymour Chris Hipkins in Disguise?

When the school attendance crisis became fully evident the, then, Minister of Education (Hipkins), blamed parents and said it was up to them to get kids to school. He dared not blame the schools.

In opposition Seymour was fierce and inspiring. Parents were to be given enough money each year so as to be able to choose their ECE and school. Schools had to improve or shut down. The Ministry of education was going to go from 4,400 staff back to the pre 2018 number of 2,700 – which was already bizarrely inflated with seat warmers.

Richard Prebble: We must get our children back to school

It will not matter what was agreed in 1840 if the coalition cannot get our children back to school. Most children do not attend school regularly. Nations that do not educate the next generation are doomed to fail.

In the 3rd term last year most Pakeha pupils, 52%, did not go to school regularly. The kiwi malaise is affecting Asian students. 42% of Asian pupils were not regular attenders. Two thirds of Maori and Pacifica pupils were regularly absent.