Illness causing high absentee rate in Calgary public schools
Posted Sep 13, 2023 1:46 pm.
Last Updated Sep 13, 2023 1:47 pm.
Just over one week into the school year and Calgary Public Schools are already seeing a high number of absentees due to illness.
There has been a lot of concern over the spread of respiratory illness in schools and a repeat of the last school year.
At the start of last week, the Calgary Board of Education recorded 2,326 illness-related absences for K-12 students.
That number had already reached more than 5,000 at the start of this week.
Watch: Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV: What to expect as Calgary kids head back to school
Alberta Teachers’ Association President Jason Schilling says it’s concerning.
“We know that school boards monitor this level of illness and that they do have provisions and measures they can take with Alberta Education if they see a certain percentage over their absentee rate that they can talk to government about some provisions they can take to ensure the safety of the students and the staff in the building is paramount,” he said.
In a statement to CityNews, the CBE says that when illness related absences are above 10 per cent of the student population at an individual school, the board will advise Alberta Health Services (AHS) and take the recommended course of action.
More sick students typically means more sick teachers, and according to Schilling, that could leave school boards scrambling.
Read more: Calgary hospitals brace for upcoming flu season
“Hopefully we will not see a repeat where we don’t have enough substitute teachers and it’s good that Calgary Board and other boards across the province are trying to hire individuals,” the president said. “I know that some are still struggling to fill those numbers and we still have some gaps in the province.”
The CBE told CityNews it currently has around 200 more substitute teachers than this time last year, as well as about 200 more casual support staff.
In the meantime, they encourage families to review AHS information and guidance to manage a wide range of illnesses.
