Education Minister Paul Calandra has reached out to Ontario principals’ groups, asking to meet in light of the ongoing confusion around the province’s new attendance policy for high school students.
The Ontario Principals’ Council had said administrators were not consulted prior to the changes that now make attendance and participation part of a teen’s final grade, and are seeking more details.
In a written statement released Wednesday, Calandra said “in response to a significant decline in student attendance across the education system, we have made changes to keep students in the classroom by reflecting unexcused absences in a student’s final grade — ensuring there are real consequences for skipping class.
“I have reached out to the Ontario Principals’ Council, the Catholic Principals’ Council, and L’Association des directions et des directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO), and have offered to meet to address their concerns, answer any questions, and ensure clarity moving forward.”
Amy Johnson, president of the council, said principals are hoping to meet with the minister early next week.
The province is focusing on teens who skip school under its new policy that begins this fall, tying unauthorized absences to marks — with attendance and participation making up 10 to 15 per cent of marks.
Authorized absences include those for illness and religious holidays. On Tuesday Calandra said that sports or extended family vacations “can still be an excused absence, but the parent has to inform the principal,” who can still make the determination given they have that power under provincial regulations, and no marks will be lost.
However, with some principals already saying vacations aren’t going to be “excused” absences, parents, students and school staff are looking for clarification.
The principal groups have raise concerns about possible “inconsistent practices from one board to another,” said Johnson, adding they prefer that grading “more reflects what the students know and can do” and they had hoped the docking of marks would be removed.
They’d also like the province to address “the root causes of why students are missing so much school … sports and vacations are two easy ones to deal with, but there are so many more that are tied to family circumstance, mental health, anxiety, new Canadians learning a language,” she added.
“Those are things we hope to talk to the minister about as quickly as possible.”
As well, “we are looking for more clarity around what accommodations can be made for all of the what-ifs, and in a clear way that can apply to all principals across the province.”
What principals “want clear is that we have the professional judgement on what is an accommodation or an allowable absence, not just sports and vacation.”
