A new month-long initiative aimed at keeping secondary school students in school has a famous self-confessed former truant as their ambassador.

Musician Tiki Taane is fronting Everyday Counts – an attendance-focused initiative for secondary school students in the Bay of Plenty designed to reinforce the importance of regular turnout at school.

Tiki Taane with a number of the youths he spoke with in regards to staying in school. Photo by Tracy Hardy.

Run in conjunction with eCase Attendance Service, a series of presentations are being held in schools across the region to explain why secondary school years are crucial for young minds.

According to recent statistics from Education Counts, the estimated national absence rate in 2013 was 10.1 per cent. This was similar to previous surveys, but higher than previous years.

For the Bay of Plenty, a recorded 10.5 per cent of students from schools in the region had truanted. This was down from 13.6 per cent in 2009.

Award-winning musician Tiki, who is based in Papamoa, says he signed up to be the face of the programme because he could relate to the struggles these youths face.

'Encouraging students to stay in school and being present makes a huge difference in their overall wellbeing,” says Tiki.

'I know from my own experience that bunking from school leads onto trouble and more bad decisions.

'If I can connect with just one student who is on the path to truancy and inspire them to stay in school instead of out on the streets, then I will be stoked. One thing I've learnt from speaking to youth is that they will often listen and take in more advice from musicians than the authorities.”

During the in-school presentations, Tiki uses his past as an opportunity for the students to learn from his experience of leaving school early.

'I left because there was no support for kids like me,” he explains.

'I just wanted to play music and rock out, so I started my band and by the time I was 15 I was playing in pubs. If I had the support and options that are now available, I would've stayed at school much longer and wouldn't have had to learn my craft the hard way.”

For more information, visit the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/everydaycountsnz