The Government's focus on raising school attendance rates seems to be paying off

About 66 percent of students attended school regularly in term one this year - that's up five percent on the same time last year.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour says every region recorded an increase - with Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast seeing the biggest jump at about 6-and-a-half percent.

He says the numbers are a step in the right direction towards the Government's goal of 80 percent of students attending school, more than 90 percent of the time, by 2030.