Extreme flooding is being blamed for a territory's reduced school attendance rates as an education minister defends her government's tough anti-truancy policy, including fines for parents.
Northern Territory minister Jo Hersey was grilled by opposition members in an estimates hearing on Tuesday, over what evidence she could provide to show the tough approach was working.
The education department's school attendance officers have the power to issue parents with compliance notices if students fail to attend school for 20 days or more.