Primary and intermediate aged children had the biggest drop in school attendance during the pandemic. Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
Most Auckland schools have dropped mask requirements after the government scrapped the Covid-19 Protection Framework and principals expect students' attendance to improve.
Fewer than 60 percent of students attend school regularly across the country and the government has set a target for 70 percent of students to be back in the classroom regularly by 2024 and 75 percent by 2026.
The biggest fall in school attendance during the pandemic has been among primary and intermediate children.
Te Tai Tokerau Principals' Association president Patrick Newman said the vaccination mandate had divided some communities, including in Northland where he was principal of Horahora Primary School.
"Now that mask mandates are gone and vaccination requirements are scrapped, students will definitely be more comfortable returning to school," he said.
"I along with just about every other teacher and principal in Te Tai Tokerau are excited to get back to normality."
Schools had been sending schoolwork home for some students who were not at school because of the pandemic, Newman said.
"It's going to be great, there's no excuse now for kids not to be back in schools," he said.
As of today, masks will only be required in health and aged care settings and household contacts do not have to isolate with cases if they return daily negative RAT test results.
All government vaccine mandates end in two weeks.
Secondary Principals' Association of New Zealand (SPANZ) president Vaughan Couillault said they were ready to drop masks in school.
"All through our Covid response, my school's position and SPANZ's position has been to trust the advice and guidance from the public health experts and so we don't want to be second guessing their advice," Couillault said.
"I'd say 50 percent of our students and staff are still wearing masks, so the announcement hasn't changed peoples' behaviour overnight.
"All it changed is the requirement to wear masks."
The only remaining requirement is that people who test positive for Covid-19 isolate at home for seven days.
Household contacts will not need to isolate and will just be asked to undertake a daily test.
Masks have not been mandated in primary or early childhood for some time, but many schools chose to voluntarily ask students and staff to continue wearing masks indoors.