Wellington, Oct 30 (IANS): Chronic absence in New Zealand students has doubled in secondary schools and nearly tripled in primary schools over the last decade, and the system for addressing this is "ineffective and failing," according to the Education Review Office (ERO) report published on Wednesday.

Students who are chronically absent from school have higher rates of offending, are more likely to be victims of crime, and are more likely to live in social and emergency housing as adults, Shinoda said, adding that by the age of 20, they cost the government three times as much as students who go to school.

Despite the dedication of schools and attendance services, the current system to get these students back to school is ineffective and needs substantial reform, according to the ERO.

There is a lack of understanding of the implications of truancy, the report said, adding that interventions are occurring too late, and inadequate information sharing between agencies puts strain on attendance services.

The government has started a nationwide conversation on truancy, with the ministries of education, social development, children and police, and other departments to develop robust information sharing agreements, Seymour said.