Ontario education minister ‘clarifying’ students will be allowed to miss class for sports

Ontario's Education Minister Paul Calandra is clarifying new attendance policies after facing criticism for initially urging parents to keep children in school and out of extracurricular sports. The minister's initial remarks suggested that education should be the absolute priority, stating that students popping in and out of class poses challenges for teachers and that school attendance had "collapsed."

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My advice to parents is keep them in school, education should be their priority. When kids pop in and out of the class, it’s very challenging for teachers … kids’ priorities should be to be in school.

Calandra's comments, made at an unrelated event, came as new attendance rules are set to take effect next academic year. These rules will make attendance and participation count for 10% or 15% of a student's final mark, depending on their grade level. He acknowledged that accommodations would be made for "high-level athletes in training" but reiterated that education must come first.

However, by Tuesday morning, the minister's office issued a statement clarifying that parents would indeed be able to request excused absences for their children for activities considered part of a well-rounded education. This includes sports, music, debate, and other school-organized activities. The new policy aims to prevent students from skipping school without valid reasons.

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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.

The clarification did little to appease critics. Ontario NDP MPP Chandra Pasma argued the minister's initial statements showed a disconnect from the needs of students and educators. Ontario Liberal MPP Stephen Blais suggested the flexibility should extend beyond just school-organized activities, noting the importance of outside pursuits for student development and post-secondary opportunities.

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The minister has absolutely no idea what is actually involved in education. Walking back statements he made just yesterday after facing immediate backlash over mandatory attendance shows just how disconnected he is from the real needs of students and educators.