Approved: September 17, 2013

Revised: August 18, 2026

1.0             Rationale

Regular attendance supports learning, well-being, and belonging. Early intervention helps schools and families understand each student’s context, remove barriers, and take a collaborative approach to supporting student attendance. 

2.0             Definitions

Compulsory School Age: Every person who attains the age of six years on or before the first school day in September in any year shall attend an elementary or secondary school on every school day from the first school day in September in that year until the person attains the age of 18 years; and

Every person who attains the age of six years after the first school day in September in any year shall attend an elementary or secondary school on every school day from the first school day in September in the next succeeding year until the last school day in June in the year in which the person attains the age of 18 years. 2006, c. 28, s. 5 (1).

Education Act: This is the provincial law that governs education in Ontario.

Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL): See Policy 2.1.8.

3.0             Policy

In accordance with the Education Act, every child has the right to an education and inherent within that right is the responsibility of every child to attend school regularly while of compulsory school age. District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) recognizes that regular attendance is critical to the process of learning and strives to address all attendance concerns following the Student Attendance procedures. All barriers to learning will be considered in a respectful manner.