Tama and his contemporary Māori art project. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman
Every Wednesday at a South Auckland school, students can forget about reading writing and maths, and instead spend their time making jewellery, weightlifting, barbering, broadcasting or one of many other options.
By letting them spend a whole day each week working on vocational projects and electives, Papakura High School has started to see big improvements in student attendance and engagement.
In the two years since introducing the scheme, the number of chronically absent students has dropped by 34 percent, the lowest it has been since before Covid.
Papakura High School student Tama has been hard at work on piece of contemporary Māori art - it drew inspiration from reggae colours and featured the word 'Mana' in carved wooden lettering.
He enjoyed getting to work with his hands on a Wednesday more than his normal schoolwork.
"Oh I love it - break away from math. I hate math, but I love it," he laughed.
Tama was hoping to sell the finished project online and reckoned he would be able to get about $1500 for it on Facebook marketplace.
When asked if he was sure it would sell for that much money, he was confident.
"Yeah, because it's Māori."
Papakura High School's attendance statistics showed there was a 34 percent decrease in chronic truancy, defined as students whose average attendance was less than 70 percent, since 2023.
Deputy principal Rebecca McGrath. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman
Tumuaki Tuarua or deputy principal at the school Rebecca McGrath said the project system had helped those at-risk students the most.
"The students who you may consider the more disengaged from regular learning - they are the students who are here every Wednesday."
Another student who preferred practical learning over sitting in a class was Grayson. He has been spending his Wednesdays learning how to make jewellery.
"I had to cut it out, polish it, sand it down and everything to make it look like an earring so it's all good to wear.
"I just find this more funner, and more for my brain to learn with stuff like this - tools and stuff."
Grayson and his jewelry. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman
For the students who love a good yarn, there was the Kura FM project, where they practiced being a radio announcer.
Kylie said being a part of this project meant he looked forward to school on Wednesday every week.
"It's nice having normal classes four days a week, and then you're looking forward to Wednesday because you have a different class, and your mates might be there."
"The people they bring in to teach you different stuff, they can be nice too, and learning different career paths for you that's cool too."
He saw radio as a possible career in the future, but had an unorthodox plan for how he would go about it.
"Don't tell anyone this, I might start a pirate station. I'd probably be holed up somewhere where they can't find me, playing soul music from my basement."
Kura FM students in class. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman
McGrath said the improved attendance and engagement on Wednesdays flowed through to the other days of the week, as students built relationships with teachers and other students.
The school's average attendance had increased from 70 percent in term three last year, to 77 percent this year.
Last month Associate Education Minister David Seymour revealed a new strategy for lifting school attendance rates, including potential fines for parents whose students are regularly absent.
But McGrath did not believe that punishment was a good strategy for lifting attendance.
"I think the problem with focusing too heavily on punitive is it breaks relationships. And right now we are in a crisis. I don't think we're in a crisis of attendance, I think we're in a crisis of relationships."
And for aspiring woodworker Tama, the Wednesday project helped him develop skills he hoped to use in a future career as a carver or carpenter.