Two researchers are arguing that the decision to cut longitudinal studies will worsen inequities and increase costs in the long term. 

In the past two weeks, funding has ceased for two of New Zealand's foremost longitudinal studies. 

The Ministry of Social Development did not renew the contract for the ‘Growing Up in New Zealand’ project at the end of February, the study that has tracked more than 6000 children since 2009. 

Dr Polly Atatoa Carr, one of the researchers behind the Newsroom article, told Kerre Woodham that studies like ‘Growing Up in New Zealand’ provide rich data not only for academics, but for governments to make decisions around policy that impacts the population. 

She said that the attendance data the government is after is an example of the kind of information that can be gathered longitudinally. 

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