Northland principals have warned that conspiracy theories about the pandemic and economic turmoil are harming school attendance in Northland.
Education Ministry figures show average daily attendance in the region last week was just over 86 percent - the same figure as in Auckland where schools are still recovering from the impact of the city's recent lockdown.
In other parts of the country the average rates were as high as 91 percent.
Pat Newman from the Tai Tokerau Principals Association told RNZ education correspondent, John Gerritsen, his own school, Horahora in Whangarei is still missing children.
