Ontario Education Minister Says Students Can Still Be Excused For Sports Under New Attendance Rules

Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra has released a statement clarifying the government’s stance on new school attendance rules, assuring parents that they can still request their children be excused from class for certain extra-curricular activities.

On Monday, The Canadian Press reported that Calandra urged parents not to pull their kids out of school for sports tournaments next year when new attendance rules begin, sparking backlash from some who felt sports and other activities are essential to the health and well-being of young people.

I have two kids that play competitive hockey with tournaments. One missed 1.5 days because of a tournament and the other missed 7 days – 4 of which were the school team. Both are honours students. It’s the kids sitting on my street curb skipping class that are the issue.

Dude my kids missed school for athletics, got scholarships and have degrees. Sports aren’t the problem.

Sports is important too @PaulCalandra. It’s part of physical education, where they gain physical fitness, self esteem and confidence and learn how to be part if a team and how to play well with others.

On Tuesday, Calandra released a statement addressing the sudden controversy.

“As part of the new absenteeism policy, which is intended to stop students from skipping out on school, parents will continue to have the ability to request that their child be excused from school for activities that are part of a well-rounded education, including sports, music, debate and other school-organized activities.”

Starting in the upcoming school year, attendance and participation will make up either 10 or 15 per cent of a final mark, depending on the grade.

In Grades 9 and 10, attendance and participation will be 15 per cent of a final mark, and in Grades 11 and 12 it will be 10 per cent.

If a student has more than two unexcused absences, they wouldn’t be able to get that full 15 or 10 per cent.

Excused absences normally include illnesses and holy days, and while parents are allowed to excuse their children from school for a weekend hockey tournament that begins on a Friday, for example, Calandra said he doesn’t want that to be the norm.

He says attendance rates in Ontario high schools are among the worst in the country, and something must be done.

“My advice to parents is, keep them in school,” he said Monday at an unrelated announcement.

“Education should be their priority. We’re going to monitor this over the next year, as I said last week, and if we have to make some additional modifications, we will.”

Calandra said the ministry has heard from the Ontario Hockey League, for example, when it comes to “high-level” athletes.

“High-level athletes in training, obviously, we’ll make some accommodation for that, but I say this again to the sports organizations as well: Education is a priority,” he said.

Critic for Education, released a statement on Tuesday, criticizing the changes to attendance rules.

“While attendance matters, parents should not be put in the difficult position of weighing their child’s education against the activities that help them grow, whether that’s sports, music, the arts or volunteering,” he wrote.

“Sports and extracurricular activities build confidence, discipline and leadership. They help children learn and prepare them for life. Students should not be penalized for pursuing those opportunities or risk having their grades lowered in ways that could affect their path to post-secondary education.”