Manitoba's plan for student absenteeism asks divisions to bring their policies in line this spring

Every school division in the province will need to develop its own plan for addressing and curbing student absenteeism by the end of the current school year, though they will all follow a common directive.

Manitoba's Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko shared a new report with six guidelines for school divisions at Winnipeg's Kildonan East Collegiate Monday. The report — Safe and caring schools: a policy directive and action plan to enhance student presence and engagement — follows Manitoba's K to 12 Education Action Plan's requirement for a provincial policy on attendance.

Ewasko said that students who go to school regularly experience more community belonging and confidence, and they're more likely to graduate.

"We're focusing the conversation on the importance of student presence and engagement and building on the good work happening in our classrooms and schools in order to support our students and to get success no matter where they live, their cultural background, or their own individual personal circumstance," he said.

The report requires school divisions to update their policies so they're in line with the province's plan and directive — with room to reflect local contexts or need — this spring, and to have those guidelines "met and in place by fall 2023."

Proactive, non-punitive approach

The report's directives are not about waiting until student absenteeism becomes chronic, said Dana Rudy, deputy minister for education. Rudy said students who have absentee problems in high school often started missing class at younger ages, research suggests.

"One absence is enough of an issue to solicit a response," she said — but that response needs to be non-punitive should absences continue.

"Policies must prohibit the use of suspensions, expulsions and withdrawals as a response to absenteeism," the report states, adding those measures are "inappropriate and counterproductive" to absenteeism. Instead it favours "a requirement for student-specific planning for students."

"If absence persists, a personal contact from the teacher or designate to better understand the nature of the absence and proactively identify strategies in response to barriers," are among the proactive approaches that need to be taken, according to the report.

Chronic absenteeism wasn't previously defined in the policy, so this is a change for all schools in the province.

Recommendations from the Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education were included in the report, which was also informed by consultations with education stakeholders and the attendance task force.

The six guidelines for divisions cover common terminology, proactive and preventative practices, co-ordinated services, responding to chronic absenteeism, as well as monitoring, analyzing and reporting data, and more defined roles and responsibilities. 

Focus on engagement

The focus is on student presence and engagement rather than a single attendance strategy, which Rudy says wouldn't work for all schools or students. Schools will be looking at developing flexible and student-specific plans on a student-by-student basis.

Pauline Clarke, chief superintendent and chief executive officer for the Winnipeg School Division, was on the task force, and said it's important to not expect all students to be able to fit traditional school hours into their lives.

"For those of us who work in schools, we have known that for many of our students, the regular school day, 9 to 3:30, the regular terms, the regular expectations, it's not one size fits all," Clarke said.

"Maybe they can't come for a full day every day, but if they can come three days a week for some of the days, then that's wonderful," she said. "That gets them on the path to confidence, friendships and futures."

Fellow task force member Kent Dueck, who is also the executive director of Inner City Alive, says Monday's announcement is five years in the making.

"For years, it's safe to say that no government or administration has taken the time to wrestle through the complexity of a problem that will deliver this much good for us as a society," Dueck said.

He says the province's plan will make a difference in the future of children and youth, and "make their lives markedly better."

The minister said hearing from students, parents, teachers and others will help pinpoint which parts of the policy work well, and which need extra attention. Ewasko requested feedback be sent to attendance@gov.mb.ca.

Province plans to spend $500K on new campaign

Manitoba is also launching a public awareness campaign to promote the benefits of going to school regularly for students and their parents.

The  "School. Keep Going" campaign will focus on how schools help students with friendships, confidence and their future. The province plans to spend $500,000 on the campaign.

In the weeks ahead, Manitobans can expect to see the campaign — which youth helped design — on billboards, in movie theatres, on digital and social media and in schools.