Niue High School’s new Deputy Principal Moira Jackson tackling old issue of truancy

The new Deputy Principal of Niue High School Moira Jackson appointed in April will be tackling the age-old issue of truancy. Jackson told BCN news that truancy has been an ongoing issue with the school, with student attendance again highlighted in the school newsletter yesterday.

The school has again raised the issue with some senior students having not attended school since the beginning of the school term even though they are now into their second week of term two. Tackling this issue is something the new deputy principal Moira Jackson says is a “collective responsibility involving the parents, school and community support and to work collaboratively”.

Jackson says that “It’s a really tough subject given the many commitments, events, funerals, medical situations to name a few that we face in a small community. The families often rely heavily on their children to help out”.

The 1989 education law is clear on the process to address truancy but there have been no reports of the school or the education department taking advantage of their legal mandate to compel the parents and the students to their legal obligations to send their children to school.

A graduate of Otago University, Moira Jackson told BCN news that she didn’t expect to be in such a position. “It was the support of the staff and community who actually encouraged and pushed me to apply”.

Jackson who is the former head of the schools Health and PE department has been part of the school’s senior management team for nearly ten years.