It is so important children arrive to school each day, well rested and ready for their school day. Regular attendance prevents gaps in learning that can lead to challenges in the future. Our own school data shows that trends in absenteeism result in lower literacy rates and difficulty in other academic areas as well.
Attendance Facts
The following is taken from: sncdsb.on.ca
Ontario elementary schools have 194 days of instruction for students. A student who misses 19 days of school (or 10% or more of days) is deemed persistently absent.
- The lowest performing students around the world miss more school than their academically successful schoolmates.
- School attendance is critical to student’s academic success but more importantly research shows that low performance at school, generally leads to a more difficult life with less access to good jobs.
- School absenteeism from a young age has significant negative consequences that can last a lifetime.
- Research indicates that absenteeism in kindergarten is associated with negative grade one outcomes, such as; greater absenteeism in the future, as well as, lower student achievement in math, reading and general knowledge.
- Any student who misses a school day misses an opportunity to learn.
“According to Charity Intelligence, if a student misses 2 days of school each month from grade 1 through grade 9, by grade 10 that student will have missed an entire year of school.” Further to this; “A recent study found that students who missed an average of two days per month in elementary school stood a 60% chance of dropping out in grade nine (Every School Day Counts: Persistent Absenteeism in Ontario, 2016). ”