Kids as young as 12 are leaving the classroom in search of work.

Taupō Pathways For Youth Employment has been receiving calls from parents asking to help find work for their young children.

Truancy services are working with thousands of kids as young as six who have been un-enrolled from school.

Brendon Crompton of re-enrolment service Blue Light says the children can have complex issues keeping them away from school.

"Emergency housing- kids get moved from one place to another with their families. The case worker tells them they'll only be there for a month, so the parents don't want to go through the effort of enrolling them."

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