The Principals' Federation says school leaders are in a tough position with consistently absent students because they have to accept medical certificates at face value

In a rare case, a Hawke's Bay mother's been convicted in court for keeping her children home and providing doctor's notes to say they're sick.

Federation president Whetu Cormick says, on any given day, there are kids all over the country who are out of school... some justifiably and others not so much.

He says they're constantly looking for patterns or repeat truants.

Cormick says in serious cases, they can go to the local truancy officer... or, as in this case, take the parents to court.