N.B. student absences drop 50% in January, data shows

Student absenteeism at New Brunswick public schools dropped by 50 per cent in January, compared to the previous month, according to new data released by the Department of Education.

January absenceswere also the lowest of the three Januarysduring the pandemic for some students, the data shows.

New Brunswick students missed a combined total of about 110,500 days of school in January,or an average of 1.1 days for each of the province's roughly 100,000 students.

That's down from more than 222,200 days missed in December (2.2 days per student) and 250,000 days in November (2.5 days per student).

The data,supplied by the anglophone and francophone sectors,does not identify why students were absent, noted department spokesperson Morgan Bell.

"A student could be absent for many reasons including dental and medical appointments, sickness or personal/family reasons and matters related to COVID-19," she said in an emailed statement.

Decrease in respiratory virus activity

The new data comes amid a downward trend in respiratory activity in the province.

The number of lab-confirmed cases of respiratorysyncytial virus, or RSV, dropped to87 for the week ending Feb. 11,from 110 the previous week,according to thePublic Health Agency of Canada's website.

Flu activity also continues to decrease, according to the latest influenza report. Three deaths wererecorded between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, one person was hospitalized and one new case was lab-confirmed.

New Brunswick reported 10 more deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, but noneof the deaths occurred during the past week.Six people died in January, two in December, onein November, and the other person died some time prior to Aug. 28, according to theCOVIDWatch report.

Meanwhile hospital admissions because of COVID-19"remained stable" in the past week, at 10, including three in intensive care, while new lab-confirmed cases of the virus remained "relatively stable" at 379, according to the report.

Anglophone sector averages

In the anglophone districts,students in kindergarten to Grade 8 missed an average of 1.3 days in January, compared to 2.2 days in December.

Although the January absences are higher for these students than in 2022, when the average was 1.1, New Brunswick students were learning online at that time, the data notes.

"Throughout the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school year, students moved to online learning for brief periods of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Bell. "Attendance was taken, however schools understood that each family dynamic was different and that impacted students participating in online learning."

The 2021 January average for anglophone K-8 students was much higher, at 2.6 days. Pre-pandemic, the January averages were 1.4 days (2020) and 1.1 days (2019).

Among anglophone students in Grades 9-12, the average number of days absent was 1.1 days, down from 2.6 days.

This was lower than the two previous pandemic Januarys, and comparable to the two prior pre-pandemic years, the data shows.

Anglophone high school students missed an average of 2.0 days in January 2022, 1.9 days in January 2021, 1.1 days in January 2020 and 0.9 days in January 2019.

Francophone sector averages

In the francophone districts, students in kindergarten to Grade 8 were absent an average of 0.8 days in January. That's down from 1.9 days the previous month.

It's also lower than the two previous pandemic Januarys, when the averages were1.7 days in 2022, 1.4 days in 2021.

Pre-pandemic, the averages for K-8francophone students were1.1 days in 2020 and 0.8 days in 2019.

Francophone students in Grades 9-12, meanwhile, missed an average of 0.9 days last month, down from 2.3 days in December, but unchanged from January2022 and January2021, according to the data.

In January 2020, francophone high school students missed an average of 1.0 days, and in January 2019, the average was 0.8 days.

The data from the department does not include attendance for individual schools, but there is a breakdownby district.

Average monthly student absences by school district:

Anglophone School District - East

K-8 students:

• January 20231.2 days.
• December 20222.2 days.
• January 2022 1.0days.
• January 2021 2.9 days.
• January 2020 1.3 days.
• January 2019 1.0 days.

Grades 9-12:

• January 2023 0.9days.
• December 2022 2.2 days.
• January 2022 1.7days.
• January 2021 1.3days.
• January 2020 0.9 days.
• January 2019 0.7 days.

Anglophone School District - North

K-8 students:

• January 2023 1.3 days.
• December 2022 2.3 days.
• January 2022 0.6 days.
• January 2021 2.3 days.
• January 2020 1.6 days.
• January 2019 1.0 days.

Grades 9-12:

• January 2023 0.9 days.
• December 2022 2.5 days.
• January 2022 2.4 days.
• January 2021 1.7 days.
• January 2020 1.2 days.
• January 2019 0.8 days.

Anglophone School District - South

K-8 students:

• January 2023 1.2 days.
• December 2022 2.0 days.
• January 2022 1.2days.
• January 2021 2.5days.
• January 2020 1.4 days.
• January 2019 1.2 days.

Grades 9-12:

• January 2023 1.0 days.
• December 2022 2.6days.
• January 2022 2.2 days.
• January 2021 2.3days.
• January 2020 1.2 days.
• January 2019 0.9 days.

Anglophone School District - West

K-8 students:

• January 2023 1.4 days.
• December 2022 2.2 days.
• January 2022 0.8 days.
• January 2021 2.5days.
• January 2020 1.5 days.
• January 2019 1.1 days.

Grades 9-12:

• January 2023 1.4 days.
• December 2022 2.9days.
• January 2022 1.8days.
• January 2021 2.0days.
• January 2020 1.2 days.
• January 2019 1.1 days.

Francophone School District - North East

K-8 students:

• January 2023 0.9 days.
• December 2022 2.0 days.
• January 2022 2.1 days.
• January 2021 1.3 days.
• January 2020 1.1 days.
• January 2019 0.8 days.

Grades 9-12:

• January 2023 1.1 days.
• December 2022 2.5 days.
• January 2022 1.0 days.
• January 2021 1.0days.
• January 2020 1.1 days.
• January 2019 0.8 days.

Francophone School District - North West

K-8 students:

• January 2023 0.8 days.
• December 2022 2.1 days.
• January 2022 1.6 days.
• January 2021 2.1 days.
• January 2020 1.3 days.
• January 2019 0.9 days.

Grades 9-12:

• January 2023 0.9 days.
• December 2022 2.6 days.
• January 2022 1.1 days.
• January 2021 1.4 days.
• January 2020 1.4 days.
• January 2019 1.0 days.

Francophone School District - South

K-8 students:

• January 2023 0.8 days.
• December 2022 1.5 days.
• January 2022 1.5 days.
• January 2021 1.1 days.
• January 2020 1.0 days.
• January 2019 0.8 days.

Grades 9-12:

• January 2023 0.8 days.
• December 2022 1.8 days.
• January 2022 0.7 days.
• January 2021 0.7 days.
• January 2020 0.8 days.
• January 2019 0.7 days.