Students in southwestern Ontario are absent from school more often post-pandemic, CBC numbers show

The number of students missing school post-pandemic has been on the rise and while parents, school boards and researchers are concerned, the reasons behind it and what the long-term impacts may be are not clear.

Data compiled by CBC News found more children and teens are missing school in every district across the country, including those in Waterloo region, London and Windsor.

CBC News asked school boards across the country for student absenteeism rates. To see a breakdown of the numbers from school boards that provided data, click below:

The boards provided data from the 2020-2021 school year through to 2024-2025.

Students missing more school post-pandemic has been an issue top of mind for many parents, said Angie Hallman, a mom of three in New Hamburg who sits on multiple parent committees with Waterloo region's public board.

She said there is no one reason why the phenomenon is happening, but what is clear is that more parents and schools are taking a compassionate approach to students and their wellbeing, particularly around mental health.

"Different from my childhood experience, social media is a really big piece to our children's lives and the positive and negative aspects follow children home," she said.

Class sizes and behaviour issues in the classroom also play a role, Hallman added.

"There are behaviour issues that are falling on the teachers and then classroom evacuations happen, so you're instilling a response in students saying, 'I don't want to go to school because yesterday was tough because somebody threw a chair across across the room,'" she said.

Hallman said more parents, including herself, are also keeping kids home longer when they're sick and only sending them back to school when they are symptom-free.

"They can access their Google classroom and do work from home, where they're not sharing germs, but they're still feeling up to working on an assignment," she said.

London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) told CBC News in an email statement families are facing more pressures at home around wellbeing, affordability and employment demands, which can impact a child's ability to attend school consistently.

"The LDCSB’s role is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed, which includes listening and responding to families when concerns arise," the board said.

Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) said it remains "committed to ensuring every student understands the importance of attending school when it is possible for them to do so."