The number of youngsters at primary school is down on last year as the children of the mini-baby boom of the early 1990s grow up.
This year an estimated 753,200 students will walk the corridors of 2600 schools - about 3000 fewer pupils than last year, according to
the Ministry of Education's annual Education Report.
Although official school rolls will not be out until March, much of the drop in overall numbers was expected at primary schools where 477,350 students were expected - 3300 fewer than last year and about 11,000 fewer than in 2003.
This year is expected to be the biggest for secondary schools which have inherited a "student bulge" from primary schools after a baby boom.
The report gave a warning that the reprieve for primary schools - which hit a high of nearly 490,000 students in 2003 - could be short. After sliding for more than a decade since the last peak in 1992, the birth rate began picking up in 2004 meaning another jump for primary schools from 2009 until 2012, when nearly 480,000 are expected.
In all about 9320 5-year-olds had their first day of school this week, and about 56,000 children would begin at some point this year - 2000 down on last year.
The number enrolling at secondary school was expected to increase by 300 to 275,800.
Some groups are increasing: the number of Maori, Pacific Island and Asian students has risen as Pakeha enrolments decline.
This year 16,338 fewer Pakeha will enrol compared with 2002 - a 3.6 per cent drop.
The number of Asian enrolments over the same time will go up by 12,563 - a 25.5 per cent climb which the report puts down to increased migration from Asian countries.
Who's at school
* 753,200 students and 50,000 teachers.
* 477,350 primary students.
* 275,810 secondary students.
* 9320 5-year-olds had their first day.
* In Auckland, 18,630 5-year-olds will start school this year.
* Auckland will have 160,000 primary students and 92,500 at secondary school.
