The province’s Acting Child and Youth Advocate is speaking out following the Ontario government’s decision to incorporate attendance into final marks in high school.

The issue was raised in a recent VOCM Question of the Day, with 74 per cent of respondents agreeing with the Ontario government’s approach.

The change is intended to address chronic absenteeism in Ontario schools, however, NL’s Acting Child and Youth Advocate Karen Gray says doing so may actually penalize vulnerable students and does not address the underlying reasons why students are absent in the first place.

Grey argues that implementing that type of policy may actually lead to more absenteeism.

Previous Child and Youth Advocate, Jacqueline Lake Kavanaugh released a report on chronic absenteeism in NL schools in 2019. She identified a list of issues including learning disabilities, behavioral issues, poor academic performance, mental illness, poverty, homelessness, substance abuse in the home, and child abuse as contributing factors.

Grey says the report shows that chronic absenteeism is complex and influenced by individual characteristics of students, their families, their schools and the community they live in.

She says it’s not only a school issue and should not be addressed by schools alone, but through a multi-faceted approach.

Grey says leadership and resources are required for effective strategies.