Waiouru Primary School criticised over ‘pretend sick’ attendance Facebook post

What happened

Waiouru Primary School posted to Facebook noting that 13 students were absent, with 10 listed as absent for illness or medical reasons. The post suggested that some students might be "pretend sick" — sick in appearance but unwilling to attend — and listed humorous ways the school could help, starting with telling students to "harden up" and including options like rest in the sick bay, playing in the library on cold days, and school-arranged house calls in extreme cases. Principal Tania Heke said the post intended to use humour to highlight the importance of school attendance. The post sparked more than a dozen mostly negative comments, with parents questioning how the school could know whether absences were genuine, suggesting the post could make families feel judged, and noting that poor attendance might reflect boredom, psychological safety concerns, or lack of cultural representation. The school responded the following morning, acknowledging an error in judgement and apologising. Heke said the school faced location-specific challenges affecting attendance, had been significantly affected by winter flu, and was working with families to address barriers through practical support including warm clothing, uniforms, food and transport.

Key facts

• Waiouru Primary School has a roll of 93 students
• Ministry of Education attendance target is 80% of students attending more than 90% of the term by 2030
• School attendance management plans became mandatory from the start of 2026
• Almost half of all school pupils didn't attend school regularly in Term 3 last year

Primary source: Waiouru Primary School Facebook post

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