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N.B. student absences drop 50% in January, data shows

Student absenteeism at New Brunswick public schools dropped by 50 per cent in January, compared to the previous month, according to new data released by the Department of Education.

Anglophone high school students and francophone K-8 students missed fewer days on average than in 2022 or 2021

Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon · CBC News ·
Students seated at desks raise their hands as a teacher stands at a chalkboard at the front of the classroom.
In the anglophone sector, high school students in the east and north districts tied for the lowest average days absent in January at 0.9 days. In the francophone sector, 0.8 was the lowest average missed days, seen among both K-8 and high school students in the south district, as well as K-8 students in the north west district. (Gagliardi Photography/Shutterstock)

Student absenteeism at New Brunswick public schools dropped by 50 per cent in January, compared to the previous month, according to new data released by the Department of Education.

January absences were also the lowest of the three Januarys during the pandemic for some students, the data shows.

New Brunswick students missed a combined total of about 110,500 days of school in January, or an average of 1.1 days for each of the province's roughly 100,000 students.

That's down from more than 222,200 days missed in December (2.2 days per student) and 250,000 days in November (2.5 days per student).

The data, supplied by the anglophone and francophone sectors, does not identify why students were absent, noted department spokesperson Morgan Bell.

"A student could be absent for many reasons including dental and medical appointments, sickness or personal/family reasons and matters related to COVID-19," she said in an emailed statement.

Decrease in respiratory virus activity

The new data comes amid a downward trend in respiratory activity in the province.

The number of lab-confirmed cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, dropped to 87 for the week ending Feb. 11, from 110 the previous week, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada's website.

Flu activity also continues to decrease, according to the latest influenza report. Three deaths were recorded between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, one person was hospitalized and one new case was lab-confirmed.

New Brunswick reported 10 more deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, but none of the deaths occurred during the past week. Six people died in January, two in December, one in November, and the other person died some time prior to Aug. 28, according to the COVIDWatch report. 

Meanwhile hospital admissions because of COVID-19 "remained stable" in the past week, at 10, including three in intensive care, while new lab-confirmed cases of the virus remained "relatively stable" at 379, according to the report.

Anglophone sector averages

In the anglophone districts, students in kindergarten to Grade 8 missed an average of 1.3 days in January, compared to 2.2 days in December.

Although the January absences are higher for these students than in 2022, when the average was 1.1, New Brunswick students were learning online at that time, the data notes. 

"Throughout the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school year, students moved to online learning for brief periods of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Bell. "Attendance was taken, however schools understood that each family dynamic was different and that impacted students participating in online learning."

Empty classroom with spread out desks with student name labels, and school supplies on top.
Students were learning online in January 2022, the Department of Health noted. (Sofia Rodriguez/CBC)

The 2021 January average for anglophone K-8 students was much higher, at 2.6 days. Pre-pandemic, the January averages were 1.4 days (2020) and 1.1 days (2019).

Among anglophone students in Grades 9-12, the average number of days absent was 1.1 days, down from 2.6 days.

This was lower than the two previous pandemic Januarys, and comparable to the two prior pre-pandemic years, the data shows.

Anglophone high school students missed an average of 2.0 days in January 2022, 1.9 days in January 2021, 1.1 days in January 2020 and 0.9 days in January 2019.

Francophone sector averages

In the francophone districts, students in kindergarten to Grade 8 were absent an average of 0.8 days in January. That's down from 1.9 days the previous month.

It's also lower than the two previous pandemic Januarys, when the averages were 1.7 days in 2022, 1.4 days in 2021.

Pre-pandemic, the averages for K-8 francophone students were 1.1 days in 2020 and 0.8 days in 2019.

There are no mandatory COVID-19 protective measures in schools, but students are still encouraged to frequently wash or sanitize their hands to avoid illnesses, district officials have said. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Francophone students in Grades 9-12, meanwhile, missed an average of 0.9 days last month, down from 2.3 days in December, but unchanged from January 2022 and January 2021, according to the data.

In January 2020, francophone high school students missed an average of 1.0 days, and in January 2019, the average was 0.8 days.

The data from the department does not include attendance for individual schools, but there is a breakdown by district.

Average monthly student absences by school district:

Anglophone School District - East

K-8 students:

  • January 2023 — 1.2 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.2 days.
  • January 2022 — 1.0 days.
  • January 2021 — 2.9 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.3 days.
  • January 2019 — 1.0 days.

Grades 9-12:

  • January 2023 — 0.9 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.2 days.
  • January 2022 — 1.7 days.
  • January 2021 — 1.3 days.
  • January 2020 — 0.9 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.7 days.

Anglophone School District - North

K-8 students:

  • January 2023 — 1.3 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.3 days.
  • January 2022 — 0.6 days.
  • January 2021 — 2.3 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.6 days.
  • January 2019 — 1.0 days.

Grades 9-12:

  • January 2023 — 0.9 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.5 days.
  • January 2022 — 2.4 days.
  • January 2021 — 1.7 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.2 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.8 days.

Anglophone School District - South

K-8 students:

  • January 2023 — 1.2 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.0 days.
  • January 2022 — 1.2 days.
  • January 2021 — 2.5 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.4 days.
  • January 2019 — 1.2 days.

Grades 9-12:

  • January 2023 — 1.0 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.6 days.
  • January 2022 — 2.2 days.
  • January 2021 — 2.3 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.2 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.9 days.

Anglophone School District - West

K-8 students:

  • January 2023 — 1.4 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.2 days.
  • January 2022 — 0.8 days.
  • January 2021 — 2.5 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.5 days.
  • January 2019 — 1.1 days.

Grades 9-12:

  • January 2023 — 1.4 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.9 days.
  • January 2022 — 1.8 days.
  • January 2021 — 2.0 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.2 days.
  • January 2019 — 1.1 days.

Francophone School District - North East

K-8 students:

  • January 2023 —  0.9 days.
  • December 2022 —  2.0 days.
  • January 2022 —  2.1 days.
  • January 2021 —  1.3 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.1 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.8 days.

Grades 9-12:

  • January 2023 — 1.1 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.5 days.
  • January 2022 —  1.0 days.
  • January 2021 — 1.0 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.1 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.8 days.

Francophone School District - North West

K-8 students:

  • January 2023 —  0.8 days.
  • December 2022 —  2.1 days.
  • January 2022 —  1.6 days.
  • January 2021 —  2.1 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.3 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.9 days.

Grades 9-12:

  • January 2023 — 0.9 days.
  • December 2022 — 2.6 days.
  • January 2022 —  1.1 days.
  • January 2021 — 1.4 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.4 days.
  • January 2019 — 1.0 days.

Francophone School District - South

K-8 students:

  • January 2023 — 0.8 days.
  • December 2022 — 1.5 days.
  • January 2022 —  1.5 days.
  • January 2021 —  1.1 days.
  • January 2020 — 1.0 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.8 days.

Grades 9-12:

  • January 2023 — 0.8 days.
  • December 2022 — 1.8 days.
  • January 2022 —  0.7 days.
  • January 2021 — 0.7 days.
  • January 2020 — 0.8 days.
  • January 2019 — 0.7 days.
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