Bad winter for school attendance in N.B., data show

Article content

New Brunswick’s education system has endured a tough winter, new data show, with student absenteeism rates rising in most districts in February compared to the same time last year.

Continuing a trend that started in January, the numbers for last month show that while a few districts had the same year-over-year absenteeism rates, most saw rises.

In the anglophone sector, Kindergarten to Grade 8 students missed an average of 2.1 days, compared to 1.8 in February 2023. In grades 9-12, students missed an average of 2.4 days, compared to 2.1 in 2023.

It was a similar story in the francophone sector.

In K-8 classes, students missed an average of 1.6 days in February, compared to 1.2 in February 2023. In grades 9-12, students missed an average of 1.8 days, compared to 1.4 in 2023.

While the province has pledged to improve its understanding of student absenteeism, particularly when it becomes chronic, the education department maintains that privacy laws prevent schools from asking why a student is absent on any given day.

“The data provided does not identify why a student may be absent. A student could be absent for many reasons including dental and medical appointments, sickness or personal/family reasons,” spokesperson Charles Renshaw said in an email.

Drilling further into February’s numbers, Anglophone School District East K-8 students missed an average of 1.8 days in February, the same as last year. In grades 9-12, they missed an average of 2.2 days, up from 1.8 in February 2023.

In Anglophone School District North, K-8 students missed an average of two days in February, up from 1.9 the same time last year. In grades 9-12, the students missed 2.1 days, the same as last year.

In Anglophone School District South, K-8 students missed an average of 2.1 days in February, up from 1.8 in February 2023. In grades 9-12, students missed 2.5 days, up from 2.1.

Finally, in Anglophone School District West, K-8 students missed an average of 2.5 days in February, up from 1.8 the same time last year. In grades 9-12, students missed 2.9 days, up from 2.4 in February 2023.

In the francophone sector, K-8 students in Francophone School District Northeast missed an average of 1.7 days in February, up from 1.3 the same time last year. In grades 9-12, students missed 2.1 days, up from 1.7 in February 2023.

In Francophone School District Northwest, K-8 students missed an average of 1.6 days, up from one the year before. In grades 9-12, students missed 1.6 days, up from 1.2.

Finally, in Francophone School District South, K-8 students missed an average of 1.5 days in February, up from 1.3 the same last year. In grades 9-12, students missed an average of 1.7 days, up from 1.3.