A new policy hopes to crack down on student absenteeism in Nova Scotia.
Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, Zach Churchill, announced the provincial student attendance and engagement policy goes into effect October 1.
One-quarter of students are missing 16 days or more of school in a year.
Churchill says the policy is intended to help improve student attendance through a balance of supports, incentives and consequences, without adding to the workload of teachers.
Under the policy, students will be considered absent unless they are attending an activity that directly relates to their learning, or a school activity and grade 10-12 students who miss more than 20 per cent of class time for a given course may lose a credit for that course.
The policy is based on advice from the Council to Improve Classroom Conditions.
