Skipping class, failing grades: Northwestern Ontario schools grapple with absenteeism

Educators with eight school boards, from Kenora to Manitouwage in northwestern Ontario, are launching a new program they hope will encourage students of all ages to come to school, every day.

The Thunder Bay region is grappling with the highest absenteeism rate in the province, says David Tamblyn, the director of education for the Superior Greenstone District School Board.

Students are considered persistently absent if they miss 10 per cent of their classes. But a 2016 study showed pupils in the Thunder Bay region have a persistent absenteeism rate of 21.6 per cent, far exceeding the Ontario average of just under 13 per cent.

The reasons for persistent absenteeism include illness, mental health issues, and poverty.

The negative effects of missing so much time at school are obvious in his board, said Tamblyn.

"For the Grade 6 cohort, the absenteeism rate was as high as 45 per cent, and when we looked at their EQAO[standardized test] results for that particular year in mathematics, only 18 per cent achieved the provincial benchmark," he said.

The boards launched the HERE campaign during the spring meeting of the Northern Ontario Education Leaders on Tuesday.

"For the student, I'm Here means I'm attending class and I'm ready to learn, for teachers, I'm Here means that I'm here to help students with their learning, and for parents I'm Here means I'm here to support my child in making sure that they're attending classes regularly," said Tamblyn.

A recent study, Every School Day Counts: Persistent Absenteeism in Ontario, 2016, indicates students who miss an average of two days per month in elementary school stand a 60% chance of dropping out in grade nine, potentially impacting their opportunities for success in the future.

School boards participating in the HERE campaign include:

• Keewatin-Patricia District School Board
• Kenora Catholic District School Board
• Lakehead District School Board
• The Northwest Catholic District School Board
• Rainy River District School Board
• Superior-Greenstone District School Board Superior
• North Catholic District School Board
• Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board