Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has fended off claims his $28.4 million school truancy crackdown is just a bums on seats exercise.
Early indications show mixed results for the program operating in 40 communities, a Senate committee hearing learned on Friday.
The government claims 604 extra students are attending school compared to last year, but at some schools attendance has gone backwards.
The hearing was told the program is costing $28.4 million over two years and funds include $180 per child towards incidental costs like school uniforms, breakfast or lunches and each community has $72,000 for costs like buses or office space.
There are 326 school attendance officers and 105 more in the pipeline waiting for their "working with children" checks to be ticked off.
The hearing was told Northern Territory teachers are set to strike next Tuesday over cuts to teacher numbers with staff under pressure from the extra pupils now showing up at school.
"When these kids turn up at school it's the responsibility of the jurisdiction to ensure they receive a first class education," Senator Scullion said.
Australian Greens senator Rachel Siewert asked whether assessments had been carried out on the children now attending school to see how far behind they were academically.
But department associate secretary Liza Carroll said that was a matter for school principals and the NT government.
Senator Siewert asked whether the program was just about getting bums on seats.
"Our motivation is not just to get kids to school, it's to get them educated," Senator Scullion hit back.
