The Education Ministry's latest figures show just 34 percent of Pasifika students attended school regularly in term four last year, half what it was at the same time a year earlier.
Overall, just over half of pupils attended school regularly in the final term of 2022, slightly up from the term prior.
Grant McMillan is the principal of James Cook High School in Manurewa, and he told Corin Dann this year has so far seen higher attendance despite disruptions from the January floods.