On Wednesday each week at Papakura High 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, they've 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's been since before Covid-19, Luka Forman has the story. In the two years since introducing the scheme, the number of chronically absent students has dropped by 34 percent, the lowest it's been since before covid.