Students, caregivers responsible for attendance: Nunavut school official

“It’s very important for parents and students to reach out to the school,” said Kivalliq School Operation superintendent Cully Robinson. (JAHS PHOTO)

A decision by an Arviat school to de-register students with low attendance is in line with Nunavut policy — that attendance is the responsibility of students and their caregivers, an official with Kivalliq School Operations says.

The principal of John Arnalukjuak high school recently sent home a letter saying that students who attended class 40 per cent of the time or less in the first half of the semester will be de-registered until after the new year.

“If you are receiving this letter than [sic] your son or daughter has been taken off of our list and we want to let you know that they can come back to school in January and try again,” reads the Nov. 3 letter, which was sent home to about 40 students.

Some parents said the new policy alienates students who are at the greatest risk of dropping out, and that low attendance is better than no attendance.

But the decision to de-register students “is a normal course of action,” said Cully Robinson, the superintendent of Kivalliq School Operations.

“What’s happened is that they’ve let students know that their level of attendance won’t result in them completing those courses.”

Arviat’s District Education Authority passed a motion in support of the school’s letter, Robinson said.

No other Kivalliq high schools have sent home such a letter this fall, he said, noting that local DEAs set their own attendance policies.

Robinson said the rationale in Arviat is that students who attend infrequently can interfere with the learning process for students who come to school on a regular basis.

At this point in the semester, students with low attendance can no longer complete or earn credits for the courses they were enrolled in anyway, he added.

“But it doesn’t mean they’re being ignored,” Robinson said, saying school staff and DEA representatives do outreach with families of students with poor attendance.

“It’s very important for parents and students to reach out to the school,” he said. “I know the school has. The principal and staff are united in trying to encourage student attendance.”

Administrators at John Arnalukjuak are currently developing a “data profile” to identify the needs of students, Robinson said, which could results in new literacy programs.

Robinson said parents and students are welcome to come into the school to discuss specific program needs.

Students with attendance 40 per cent and lower are welcome to return Jan. 15 to re-register for the remainder of the academic year, the letter said.