New Zealand principals are anxious to stem a rise in students leaving school without a qualification

Ministry of Education figures show 12 percent of last year's school leavers did not have a qualification, up one percent on 2018 - which saw the first recorded increase.

Principals Federation President, Perry Rush, thinks poverty plays a role, with increasing numbers of teens leaving school to enter the workforce and support their family.

Maori and boys are both over-represented in early leaver figures.