N.B. student absenteeism spiked in January, data show

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Student absenteeism spiked in January as a wave of illness swept the province, but whether there’s any connection is a mystery.

New data show that on a year-over-year basis, student absenteeism dramatically rose in several school districts. Every district saw some rise.

In the anglophone sector, the average days missed per student in January in Kindergarten to Grade 8 was 1.8, up from 1.3 in 2023, and one in 2022. In grades 9-12, the average was 1.3 days missed per student, compared to 1.1 last year, and two in 2020.

In the francophone sector, the average days missed per student in January in K-8 was 1.2, up from 0.8 in 2023, but down from 1.7 in 2022. In grades 9-12, the average was 1.3 days missed per student, compared to 0.9 in 2022 and 2023.

The government has consistently said that privacy laws don’t allow schools to ask why a student is absent, making it impossible to know whether the wave of illness that swept across the province in late December and January contributed to the elevated numbers.

“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,” education department spokesperson Charles Renshaw said in an email.

In Anglophone School District East K-8 classes, students missed an average of 1.7 days in January, up from 1.2 last year, and one in 2022. In Anglophone North, K-8 students missed an average of 1.7 days, compared to 1.3 in 2023, and 0.6 in 2022.

Anglophone South saw its average K-8 absences rise to 1.7 days in January, up from 1.2 in 2022 and 2023. The January average in Anglophone West was 1.9 days, up from 1.4 in 2023, and 0.8 in 2022.

In grades 9-12, Anglophone East students missed an average of 1.1 days in January, up from 0.9 in January 2023, but down from 1.7 in 2022. In Anglophone North, grades 9-12 students missed an average of one day, compared to 0.9 in 2022, and 2.4 in 2022.

Anglophone South saw its average grades 9-12 absences rise to 1.2 days in January, up from one in 2023 but down from 2.2 in 2022. The January average in Anglophone West was 1.6 days, up from 1.4 in 2023, but down from 1.8 in 2022.

It was a similar story in the francophone sector.

In Francophone School District Northeast, K-8 students missed an average of 1.2 days in January, up from 0.9 in January 2023, and 1.9 in 2022. In Francophone Northwest, the January average was one day missed, compared to 0.8 in 2023, and 1.6 in 2022. Finally, in Francophone South, K-8 students missed an average of 1.2 days in January, up from 0.8 in 2023, but down from 1.5 in 2022.

In grades 9-12, Francophone School District Northeast students missed an average of 1.3 days in January, up from 1.1 in January 2023, and one in 2022. In Francophone Northwest, the January average was 1.4 days missed, compared to 0.9 in 2023, and 1.1 in 2022. Finally, in Francophone South, grades 9-12 students missed an average of 1.1 days in January, up from 0.8 in 2023, and 0.7 in 2022.