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Health Information

Every day counts towards your child’s learning at school.
Attending school gives your child the best opportunity to realise their full potential and do well in life.

Parents and caregiver expectations

Parents are legally required to enrol their children and make sure they attend school every day

Parents play a big role in helping their children do well in school. You can do this by making sure your child goes to school every day and letting the school know if they're sick. If your child is unable to attend school you must let the school know the reason why. Family holidays or taking time off for recreational activities are not acceptable reasons for being absent.

You are responsible for letting the school know if your children are moving schools and you need to make sure you enrol your children in their next school right away.

Is my child well enough to go to school?

We know that going to school every day is important for all students. But as a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult deciding if your child is well enough to attend school.

Here is some advice to help you decide when it is okay to send your child to school, when you should keep your child at home, and when you should contact a health professional for advice. This advice is based off in-depth guidance prepared by Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand, which you can view here.

Ministry of Education information page

Ministry of Eduction information page

Download the PDF

Download the PDF