“A place where it feels like home: the story of Tina Fontaine” The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth writes “
Tina Fontaine might always be known for the tragic way in
which she died, but it is her life that is an important story
worth knowing. It was on August 17, 2014, when most
people would learn her name, but Tina’s story began long
before that day. It began even before Tina was born on
New Year’s Day in 1999. To know Tina’s story, to really
understand how she came to symbolize a churning anger
of a nation enraged, each of us can look as far back as the
arrival of European settlers, and as close to home as the
depth of our own involvement or indifference in the lives
and experiences of Indigenous youth.”
The first of five recommendations addresses absenteeism and suspensions/expulsions..
“The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth recommends that
Manitoba Education and Training ensure its recently established
Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education review the
measurement of and response to absenteeism across Manitoba. It is
further recommended that the Commission review the use of out of-school suspensions and expulsions, with the goal of developing a
province-wide strategy to limit, reduce, and phase-out exclusionary
practices, except in situations of imminent safety risk to students
and staff. This review and strategy should provide evidence informed practices that are in line with the best interests of the child
and respect the right to education for children and youth. “
Chronic Absenteeism: When Children Disappear is the excellent work of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The report points to restorative practices instead of…”using punitive approaches alone has not been shown to be particularly effective in
reducing chronic absenteeism. They may actually push the student towards further disengagement from school (Gase et al., 2016). There is some evidence that referring student to truancy officers impacts daily attendance but not chronic absenteeism(Epstein and Sheldon, 2002). Consequences can be helpful when designed to increase student engagement such as having children make up lost time for missed classes. Incentives for attendance for all students is also valuable as a prevention and intervention strategy (Epstein and Sheldon, 2002). A restorative approach that focuses on student engagement and relationship building is an emerging practice that is showing positive impacts. “(Page 33)
Alberta’s report Every Student Counts: Keeping Kids in School points out that early intervention and “Attendance tracking, monitoring and intervention should be a priority in the early years of school.
Prevention is always the preferred alternative, addressing small challenges before they become
bigger challenges with serious and irreversible consequences.
Students say they want to feel welcomed at school and to have a sense of belonging. They want an
adult to care about them, to connect with them, to help them resolve issues and to help them with their learning. They want to be valued. “(page 24)