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Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

Frontline attendance services will receive a significant funding boost so they can support more schools and reach double the students, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says.

Budget 2025 includes a $140 million package to improve attendance over the next four years. This includes around $123 million for the delivery of a new attendance service and almost $17 million to support and strengthen frontline attendance services.

“Frontline attendance services will be more accountable, better at effectively managing cases, and data driven in their responses. To achieve this, they will soon have access to a new case management system and better data monitoring, and their contracts will be more closely monitored,” Mr Seymour says.

“In 2024 the Education Review Office (ERO) completed a report into attendance services which found that the system designed to get students back in school was ineffective and required substantial reform. For example, the current system fails to consistently improve student attendance because funding varies between providers. Many services are under resourced and cannot meet demand.

The 2024 ERO report made four recommendations for a successful new attendance service:

• Having effective targeted supports in place to address chronic absence
• Increasing the focus on retaining students on their return
• Putting in place an efficient and effective model
• Strengthening how we prevent students becoming chronically absent

“The new attendance services model addresses the first three recommendations. The wider attendance action plan, which includes the requirement for schools to have their own attendance management plan, aligned with the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) in place by Term 1 of 2026, will address all four,” Mr Seymour says.

“Service providers will work with families, local communities and social agencies to deliver comprehensive services. The level of service provided will depend on the need. It will range from advice and support to schools, to intensive case management of students.

“Schools with the highest numbers of chronically absent students will be able to apply for funding for an in-school service. The schools in this bracket tend to be ones in higher Equity Index (EQI) groups, facing the most socio-economic barriers.”

Transitioning to the new Attendance Service will begin at the end of this year and the new services will become fully operational from early 2026. The Ministry of Education will work with providers to ensure the transition is smooth, and that students continue to receive the services they need during this period.

“Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes. Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities that every student deserves,” Mr Seymour says.

Please find ERO’s report here: Left behind: How do we get our chronically absent students back to school?

Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

A two-year-old child sustained life-threatening injuries in a horrific dog attack in March 2024.

The young boy was mauled by two dogs while playing in the front yard of his south Auckland home. The unprovoked and sustained attack left him with several serious wounds to his neck and head, and a fractured shoulder blade, requiring multiple surgeries and a prolonged hospital stay.

The dogs, two American Bulldogs roamed freely into the child’s yard and attacked him without warning.

Despite heroic efforts by bystanders and the victim’s mother, who physically lifted her child to safety, the dogs continued to attack. CCTV footage confirmed the brutality of the attack, which ended only when the dogs were forcibly removed and driven away by the owners’ relatives.

On 30 July 2024, the Auckland Council commenced a criminal prosecution against the owner, laying two charges for owning dogs that attacked a person causing serious injury.

Last week in the Manukau District Court, Judge Moala sentenced the owner, Ms Janna Faumui who had pleaded guilty to the charges, to 150 hours of community work and ordered her to pay $2,000 in emotional harm reparation to the victim’s family.

Judge Moala considered that where the victim of a dog attack has suffered near-fatal injuries, the starting point for sentence is likely to be one of imprisonment.

However, the Judge did not consider imprisonment was appropriate in this particular case given the defendant’s lack of criminal history and there being no indication she was a danger to the community. The defendant was given credit for her early guilty pleas, her lack of conviction history and the remorse she had shown for the offending. 

Chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, Councillor Josephine Bartley expressed heartfelt concern for the toddler.

“It is not okay for dogs to be roaming or uncontrolled. The trauma and injuries inflicted on this child were horrific and entirely preventable,” she said.

“Dog owners must understand their responsibilities. This is not optional. If they fail in those duties, we will not hesitate to prosecute.”

Auckland Council’s General Manager of Licensing and Compliance, Robert Irvine, says this is another devastating example of the serious consequences of roaming dogs in our city.

“We commend the bravery of the bystanders who tried to intervene in the attack,” said Mr Irvine.

“No one should ever have to witness such violence, especially a parent.”

“We have increased the number of Animal Management Officers and their proactive patrolling in high-risk areas, and we are doing all we can to prevent incidences like this from happening, but we can’t be everywhere all the time. We need dog owners to take responsibility for their dogs, keep them contained and not allow them to roam,” adds Irvine.

The council has confirmed both dogs were voluntarily surrendered and euthanised following the attack.

Auckland Council urges all dog owners to ensure their pets are secure, well-trained, and never allowed to roam.

“One moment of negligence can result in a lifetime of pain,” says Mr Irvine.

Further case highlights dangers of careless dog ownership

In a separate case in the Manukau District Court, Maxine Hona was sentenced to 100 hours of community work and ordered to pay $200 in emotional harm reparation after her dog, Otis, seriously attacked a visitor in her home in March 2024.

Despite Ms Hona’s attempt to contain her dog before allowing the victim inside, it escaped and launched a persistent attack, injuring both the visitor and Ms Hona herself.

The court rejected arguments that this was an exceptional incident and made an order for the dog’s destruction.

Judge Patel stressed that even one-off failures to control dogs can have devastating consequences.

This case reinforces Auckland Council’s message: pet ownership comes with absolute responsibility. There is no margin for error when it comes to public safety.

More information about responsible dog ownership is available on the Auckland Council website. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party has launched its plan for Free GPs as part of its Green Budget.

“Healthcare isn’t a luxury, it’s a human right we can afford to provide to all,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.

“In the last election, we campaigned on providing free dental for all. Today, we’re expanding that to ensure nobody is priced out of receiving the care they need, whether that is from the dentist or the doctor.

“Successive Governments have failed to invest in the health of our communities, resulting in more and more people falling through the cracks and being left behind. A shocking 44 percent of Māori have an unmet need for primary care.

“This is just common sense. Free GP visits will reduce the pressure our hospitals are under by stopping small issues becoming big ones that need emergency treatment.

“Our approach will make sure communities right across the country have access to the care they need with our Community Health Service. We will create community care clinics in the highest need areas first, such as South Auckland, which has an estimated shortage of about 127 GPs.

“Community not-for-profit primary care providers, such as kaupapa Māori providers, will also be funded to provide free GP and nurse visits alongside the Community Health Service.

“We will build the workforce we need to support our communities and ensure everyone has access to a GP by maximising the medical student caps at both Auckland and Otago University. This will begin to close workforce gaps and ensure we have what we need to meet increased demand.

“Rather than leaning on private healthcare and leaving thousands out in the cold like the current Government, we can take control and build a health system that supports all of us and leaves nobody behind,” says Marama Davidson.

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is delivering for Māori with its Green Budget.

“Our Green Budget is a statement: we stand for Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we stand on the right side of history and we stand against this Government,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Māori Development, Hūhana Lyndon.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a promise of protection, for people and planet. This forms the foundations of our Green Budget and our vision for Aotearoa.

“We have seen this Government undo decades of progress with endless assaults on our people and the lands we live on, all for the benefit of a wealthy few. We will not stand for this. With our Budget we have a way forward that can help us undo the damage that has been done.

“We will fill the gaps in our health system that have failed our people across generations by bringing back Te Aka Whai Ora and rolling out free GPs across the motu, especially in hard to reach communities.

“We will build for a future where everyone has a home, with publicly funded kāinga led by Māori. Our tamariki will be set up for success with warm homes, and education that connects them to their culture and unlocks their full potential.

“Our Hoki Whenua Mai policy means land back for tangata whenua and protection against further takings from the Crown.

“We can do all of this and more by making this a one-term Government, by demanding the rich pay their fair share and by using Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the poutokomanawa of our whare ora,” says Hūhana Lyndon.

Source: Green Party

The Green Budget shows how much better our lives could be under a Green Government, instead of one dominated by corporate greed.

“This is a Budget for a country that belongs to and works for New Zealanders,” says Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. 

“We believe in fairness and common sense. A Green Government will rapidly reduce emissions, reduce the cost of living and improve our quality of life.

“That means free GP visits, free Early Childhood Education, free dental care, an Income Guarantee to ensure no one falls below the poverty line, housing for all, a stable climate, clean air, clean water and clean soil.

“We can do this by taxing the wealthiest fairly.

“Or, we can continue to let our infrastructure crumble, kids go hungry and the healthcare system teeter on the edge of collapse, as the Government promises for their Budget next week.

“These are political choices. The Greens choose a country worth fighting for, instead of the Luxon Government’s choices seeing New Zealanders leaving in record numbers.

“The Aotearoa we all deserve is entirely within our grasp. Our Green Budget is the detailed map, and in the coming weeks, we will be working with communities across Aotearoa to start our journey to making it a reality,” says Chlöe Swarbrick. 

Source: Green Party

The Green Party has unveiled its new plan to make Early Childhood Education (ECE) free.

“This is about making ECE for everyone,” says Green Party co-leader, Marama Davidson.

“Every child deserves the best possible start in life. However, ECE costs are a huge stress and barrier for many families.

“Families in Aotearoa face some of the highest ECE costs in the world. A lot of families pay around $10,000 a year per child – making ECE the biggest household cost after housing for many.

“One of the main reasons for this is corporate greed. Too much money meant for our children disappears into corporate profits, while parents pay sky-high fees and teachers earn far too little.

“Our plan makes ECE accessible for whānau while enhancing the quality of care our tamariki receive.

“We will initially cap charges at $10 per day per child on top of the current 20-hour free entitlement. This represents a significant shift from the $12 an-hour some families currently pay. By 2029, we will make ECE free by raising the entitlement to 35 hours a week.

“This is what ECE can look like when we put our kids first and push aside the corporate greed that is dominating the sector.

“A large portion of the Government’s funding for ECE goes straight into the pockets of for-profit chains. These for-profit providers benefit from hundreds of millions in public subsidies while charging high fees and paying low wages to teachers which impacts upon the quality of care. Teacher’s working conditions are our children’s learning conditions.

“Our Budget covers the full cost of delivering quality ECE, ending subsidies to corporations and instead supporting community-based and public centres that prioritise the needs of our kids, not the interests of shareholders.

“With a Green Government, whānau will have the confidence that their tamariki are receiving quality care, without huge costs,” says Marama Davidson.