NORTHEAST — The North East School Division is concerned about absenteeism after a report showed it was on the rise.
In the 2017-18 school year, absenteeism was 9.41 per cent for non-First Nations/Métis students, compared to 7.56 per cent the previous year. For First Nations/Métis students, absenteeism was 19.59 per cent, compared to 12.87 per cent.
“If you think about it, one day out of ten where students aren’t in front of their classroom teacher,” said Don Rempel, the division’s director of education, at its June 18 meeting, “that’s pretty significant as far as your ability to cover the outcomes of your curriculum.”
Attendance is a key indicator that shows if a student graduates on time.
The report said March is the worst month for absenteeism, followed by January. September and April were the best months for attendance.
“In general, we’ve had pretty strong attendance rates but when we see certain months have a higher level of absenteeism then it’s probably something we have to pay attention to,” Rempel said. “We have to start informing the parents about the importance of attendance a little bit in the Northeast as well.”
The absences in the report include ones taken for legitimate reasons, like going on a school sports trip or to a medical appointment. Unexplained absences were 2.56 per cent for non-First Nations/Métis students and 10.12 per cent for First Nations/Métis students.
