A classroom is shown in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
This week, Ontario introduced legislation that will make attendance count for 10 to 15 per cent of the final grade for all secondary school courses.
Education Minister Paul Calandra said the bill “is insisting that students participate in order to get marks. It insists that they go to school and that attendance be a part of that.”
Attendance has been slowly climbing up since the pandemic, but it is still not close to “normal,” Mr. Calandra said.
But critics say the new requirement ignores the reasons why students may often miss school, from mental health issues such as anxiety, struggling with learning issues or holding responsibilities outside of school.
Attendance to count for sizable portion of high school final grades in Ontario
For a future story, we want to hear from parents who have children who do not make it to school regularly. Is making attendance count for a significant portion of final grades fair? Do you welcome the expectation? Should the government take into account exceptions for students who are often absent?
Share your thoughts in the form below or by sending us an e-mail at audience@globeandmail.com.
What do you think about Ontario's changes to attendance in schools? Share your thoughts
For a future story, we want to hear from parents who have children who do not make it to school regularly. Is making attendance count for a significant portion of final grades fair? Do you welcome the expectation? Should the government take into account exceptions for students who are often absent? Should the government do more to understand why many students are often absent? Share your story in the form below, or send an e-mail to audience@globeandmail.com.