The new school year got underway last week with 9,900 new entrants starting their first day of school with brand new backpacks, shiny shoes, and freshly sharpened pencils. I am sure it was a mixture of nerves and excitement for parents and students alike. The new entrants are joining 754,000 other students who will be attending schools around the country this year.

The new school year has seen several changes from 2009 in the number of students enrolled and the diversity in our classrooms. Birth rates, migration rates, and the current economic climate are all factors that affect the makeup of New Zealand school rolls.

Primary school rolls are expected to increase by about 2,250 compared to the 2009 school year. The growing number of new entrant students enrolling is a direct consequence of the number of births increasing since 2003 following a lower birth rate from 1992-2003. This is predicted to be the peak until 2012/13 when the high birth numbers of 2007/2008 will start to affect primary school rolls.

The economic climate also appears to have affected student numbers as retention of students at the other end of the spectrum – secondary school leavers - has increased by 6.8% between 2009 and 2010 compared to 2008-2009. It is possible that reduced employment prospects have influenced many students’ decisions to return to school beyond the years of compulsory education.

New Zealand classrooms are also becoming more diverse with increasing proportions of Maori, Pasifika, and Asian students. Over the last decade this has been a growing trend with the declining numbers of European/Pakeha students and increasing numbers of Maori, Pasifika, and Asian students. In addition, New Zealand gained 1,600 students between the ages of 5 and 17 through migration last year

With the school year now in its second week I am sure students have formed many new friendships and are settling into their new, or not so new, schools. As Associate Minister of Education, I am once again looking forward to seeing for myself students in their classrooms throughout the year.