More than 7000 Bay school students need to be in every class, every day during the next four weeks for their school to win a lunchtime concert of big acts at the end of term.

The ‘Big Day In' will feature comedy duo The Laughing Samoans, DJ Sir-Vere and NZ rapper K.One – and is the newest initiative run by school attendance service Ecase to get every Bay student into every class.

Tauranga Boys' College students (left to right) Ben Hamill (Year 10), Callum Housham (Year 9) and Stephen Clinton (Year 13) won t-shirts at todays' school assembly for having the best attendance rate in their year groups.

Launched yesterday, the competition runs to July 5 with Mount Maunganui College, Otumoetai College, Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga Girls' College and Te Puke High School vying to win the lunchtime concert by clocking up the best attendance rate during four consecutive school weeks this term.

It's a new method to zone-in on all wagging school students – and not just those with low attendance rates – by encouraging individual and collective responsibility toward improved attendance, says Ecase regional supervisor Kelly Sadler.

'We wanted to capture as many kids as possible with this initiative, from schools which regularly utilise our service.”

Historically, Ecase, which manages students who are absent from school without a legitimate reason in the Tauranga area, focusses on the eight to 10 per cent of 'chronic truants” not attending school.

'But we think it is important everyone in every school attends their classes,” says Kelly.

The design of the ‘Big Day In', supported by Mai FM Street Team with free food, prizes and giveaways, is to have the students themselves drive the attendance initiative and win the competition for their school.

'We didn't want the school to drive it,” says Kelly.

'It's important the students drive it – and the level of incentive is to lead to student discussion on other ways to create encouragement for their peers to attend school every day, for example, some are looking to make Facebook pages.”

Kelly says at the end of the day – attendance is not a school responsibility.

'The primary responsibility for attendance lies with each student and their parents or caregivers. This initiative is deliberately designed ‘to challenge casual attitudes' towards skipping the odd class and motivate students to look at ways to improve their attendance,” says Kelly.

Tauranga Boys' College assistant principal Leyton Watson thinks it's a great initiative, which uses student appeal – especially boys' – to competitions to drive the message.

'I also like that it's going to pull the schools involved together because it's an issue that crosses over all schools,” says Leyton.

'And getting the students' buy-in with a concert is key – because boys' like competition and it will certainly appeal to the boys at our school.”

The winning school will be notified on July 8 and will host the 'Big Day In” on a suitable afternoon, during the last week of term, for all students.