Ontario's education minister found himself walking back comments less than 24 hours after making them, clarifying that students will indeed be allowed to miss class for sports and other activities under new attendance policies taking effect next academic year.
Education Minister Paul Calandra sparked confusion Monday when he urged parents to prioritize classroom time over extracurricular activities, including sports. Speaking to reporters at an unrelated event, he emphasized the importance of consistent school attendance.
"My advice to parents is keep them in school, education should be their priority," Calandra told reporters, according to Global News: Peterborough. "When kids pop in and out of the class, it's very challenging for teachers … kids' priorities should be to be in school."
The comments came as the province prepares to implement new attendance rules that will make attendance and participation worth 10 to 15 percent of students' final marks, depending on grade level. In Grades 9 and 10, attendance will count for 15 percent, while in Grades 11 and 12, it will be 10 percent. Students with more than two unexcused absences won't be able to earn the full attendance marks.
Calandra acknowledged Monday that the Ontario Hockey League had raised concerns about high-level athletes being penalized for missing class. "High-level athletes in training, obviously, we'll make some accommodations for that," he said, according to Global News: Peterborough.
But by Tuesday morning, the minister's office was issuing a clarification statement to journalists, emphasizing that the policy is designed to combat truancy, not prevent students from participating in enriching activities.
"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," Calandra wrote in the statement.
The rapid reversal drew criticism from opposition parties. Ontario NDP MPP Chandra Pasma said the incident demonstrated that Calandra had "no idea" how education should work.
"The minister has absolutely no idea what is actually involved in education," she said, according to Global News: Peterborough. "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."
Ontario Liberal MPP Stephen Blais argued the clarification still doesn't go far enough, noting that the flexibility should extend beyond "school-organized activities."
"Many high performing students are involved in activities outside of school which are foundational to their opportunities to pursue post secondary education and develop into well balanced adults," he wrote on social media.
The new policy allows parents to request excused absences for their children, similar to how illnesses and holidays are currently handled. While a parent could excuse a student for a Friday hockey tournament, for example, Calandra indicated he hopes such requests won't become routine.
The minister has pointed to declining attendance rates as the driving force behind the policy change, noting that Ontario's attendance rates are among the lowest in the nation. The new rules aim to address chronic absenteeism while still allowing students to pursue activities that contribute to their overall development.
