Ontario's new attendance policy could penalize the very students who are learning the most.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has announced a new policy allowing schools to factor attendance into a student's final grade. We understand the intent: getting kids in classrooms matters. But as written, this policy risks punishing a group of students who are absent for one of the best possible reasons: they are competing, training, and representing their schools, their communities, and often their country at the highest levels of sport.

Student-athletes miss school to race, to compete, to travel, and to train. They don't miss it to fall behind — They do not miss school to avoid their academic responsibilities; they miss it in pursuit of excellence and remain committed to their studies throughout that journey.

Here's what those absences actually teach.

Athletic training and high-performance competition deliver real, measurable educational value. These students develop independence, time management, resilience, goal-setting, teamwork, self-advocacy, and personal responsibility.  These are the exact skills that predict success in post-secondary education, in the workplace, and in life. A grade penalty tells them their pursuit of excellence is a liability. It isn't. It's an asset most classrooms can't replicate.

This builds a stronger Ontario with future leaders that will help ensure the province is globally competitive. 

We are not asking the Ministry to abandon the policy. We are asking for it to be fair.

We call on the Ontario Ministry of Education, school boards, principals, and trustees to:

• Recognize sanctioned athletic activity — training, competition, racing, and required travel — as a legitimate, excused category of absence that does not count against a student's grade.
• Establish clear, province-wide accommodation guidelines so families don't have to negotiate exceptions school by school, and so students are treated consistently no matter their postal code.
• Protect academic standing for students in high-performance sport, provided they keep up with coursework and meet learning expectations.
• Consult athletes, families, coaches, and sport organizations before this policy is finalized and implemented.
  
  

Why your signature matters.

By signing this petition, you are putting your name to a clear message: how our elected officials handle this issue matters to its constituents and voters. School board trustees, MPPs, and every politician with a say in education should know that citizens are watching, and that support for our student-athletes will be remembered at upcoming elections, and beyond.

Our kids are learning to balance ambition with obligation, to perform under pressure, and to give everything to a goal. The least we can do is make sure the system doesn't grade them down for it.

Sign now. Stand up for the students who are pushing themselves the hardest — and tell Ontario's decision-makers we expect them to do the same.

Also most importantly, please POST this on your social media to help get the word out.