Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra urges parents not to pull children out of school for sports tournaments next year as new attendance rules take effect. He is responding to concerns raised after reports about how attendance and participation will count toward final grades under the province’s updated policies.
According to coverage from City News Toronto, Calandra says that starting in the upcoming school year, attendance and participation make up either 10% or 15% of a course’s final mark, depending on the grade level. In a separate clarification reported by City News Toronto, Calandra also says students can still be excused for certain extracurricular activities. He indicates that parents can request exemptions from class for activities such as sports, rather than removing students from school entirely.
Global News similarly reports Calandra’s message to parents not to withdraw children for sports tournaments. Across the sources, the focus remains on how the new grading weight for attendance affects student involvement, while maintaining a pathway for excusals tied to extracurricular activities.
