Tackling truancy in Aotearoa: How digital inclusion can close the gap

Chronic absenteeism is one of the most pressing challenges facing New Zealand’s education system. According to a report from the Education Review Office (ERO) in 2024, over 80,000 students across Aotearoa are chronically absent, defined as attending school less than 70% of the time. This issue is particularly acute among Māori and Pasifika students and in low socio-economic communities, where absenteeism is up to six times higher than in more affluent areas.

Policy alone can't solve this evolving crisis, and many schools and communities are struggling with the challenge. So where does Quadrent's Green Lease fit into the equation, and what's the link between digital inclusion and achieving at school?

Identified drivers of truancy

The ERO report highlights several key student and parent drivers of chronic absenteeism:

• Not getting enough support for what they need at school (42% of students)
• Not feeling like they belong (35% of students)
• Not wanting to do some school activities (34% of students)
  
• Keeping their child out of school because their child isn't able to participate in certain activities (57% of parents)

In many schools, students without access to a personal device are forced to share with up to six others or miss out entirely on digital learning. This not only limits their academic potential but can deepen feelings of exclusion and disengagement.

Enter the Green Lease

The Green Lease is a circular leasing model that provides refurbished, high-quality laptops to students who would otherwise go without. The leasing solution does more than just provide devices, it addresses the underlying causes of absenteeism by:

• Enabling students to feel supported in their learning journey through dedicated access to a suitable device instead of sharing with other students. This enables the students to access online content and exams, participate in digital learning, and explore tech-based career pathways
• Enhancing the feeling of belonging through empowering students to engage in collaborative learning and school activities with their peers, rather than being left behind in the increasingly digital economy
• Increasing engagement in school activities as students now have the tools that aid them to reach their academic potential, building conviction in their ability to achieve in the classroom and beyond
• Growing parental confidence in sending their tamariki to school, knowing they can fully participate and achieve in activities

By partnering with large enterprise clients and government agencies, Quadrent’s digital inclusion initiative identifies schools and students in need and provides suitable end-of-lease devices at no cost to either the student or the school. This ensures every student in our communities has access to the digital tools required to succeed without placing additional financial strain on families or schools.

Real results from digital inclusion

The impact of the Green Lease is already being felt in classrooms across the country that have received devices. In one school that received donated devices, the results from those three classrooms tell an encouraging story:

• Attendance rates have jumped from 65% to 85%
• The proportion of students achieving Merit or better has increased from 17% to 65%
• The NCEA Not Achieved rate has dropped from 24% to 0%

These figures represent real lives being changed. Students who once felt left behind are now able to fully engage with their learning, building confidence, and seeing a future in which they are not held back by unfamiliarity with digital platforms and core education principles.

Quadrent's Green Lease is helping to close the digital divide, enabling students to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

The social and economic cost of chronic absenteeism is staggering. By age 25, chronically absent students:

• Are 3x more likely to be in the corrections system
• Earn $40,000 less than their peers
• Are 50% more likely to be on welfare

Quadrent's Green Lease offers a cost-effective, scalable solution that helps to improve educational outcomes and reduces the long-term social costs of chronic absenteeism. With the right tools and support, we can re-engage our tamariki, close the digital divide, and build a brighter future for Aotearoa.

Learn more about the Green Lease and how your school or organisation can get involved.