Letters sent home about school absence raise questions for parents

Toronto parents have begun receiving a letter from public health officials when the absenteeism rate at their child’s school or daycare reaches 30 percent – but it’s unclear what that measure means.

The Toronto Public Health letter is sent when absenteeism is “at least 30 percent higher than usual.” However, parents may be left with questions, including whether there is COVID-19 in their child’s class and whether they should keep their children at home.

When asked about this, TPH told the Star it supports schools “in implementing multiple layers of protection (which are necessary to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and to keep schools as safe as possible.”

“The letter is to remind parents of these important measures, including daily screening, and to keep children at home if their child is ill or someone in the household has symptoms,” the TPH said in an email. “It is also very important for all residents to have themselves and their children vaccinated, as this is the best protection against serious consequences associated with COVID-19.”

The province had earlier required confirmed COVID cases to be reported in schools and day care in public, but Ontario, along with a few other provinces, has stopped this practice. This is partly because the suitability for PCR tests has narrowed and it has become challenging to gain access to rapid tests, especially with the highly portable Omicron variant that has spread throughout the community.

Now, the Ministry of Education has instructed schools to notify public health units when student and staff absenteeism reaches about 30 percent from its baseline, which includes all reasons for an absence, not just COVID. A joint letter from the school and local public health unit is then shared with the community.

According to the TPH, “if it is known that the absences are not related to COVID-19, the letter need not be sent.”

In a preface used by Catholic school principals when sending the TPH letter, they note that parents should be aware that the absenteeism rate of 30 percent “does not necessarily reflect known active COVID cases in a particular school community.”

At one Catholic school, which recently reached that level of 30 percent, school administrators and staff reached out to all the students who were absent – only one was away due to COVID, while the other was off for various reasons.

“Absences recorded may include an illness not related to COVID or a medical appointment,” according to the preamble. “The Ministry of Education requires school boards to report on all staff and student absences, including students who study temporarily at a distance and to report the total percentage of staff and student absences in public.”

There are also plans at the Toronto District School Board for its principals to include a preface when the TPH letter is sent “to clarify the reasons behind the letter and how it does not necessarily reflect the current known cases of COVID-19. the school does not reflect, ”said council spokesman Ryan Bird. “(Absences) may be due to other reasons.”

He noted that when it comes to absences, the TDSB “looks at how we can provide greater clarity.”

Toronto’s public and Catholic boards go beyond what is required of them by the government, because when a test-confirmed positive COVID case is notified, those in the classes concerned are made aware. The Toronto Catholic District School Board is also continuing to update its COVID-19 control screen.

Toronto mother Marie Tattersall, whose daughter attends a TDSB school, says “complete transparency is crucial because every parent has the right to know what is happening in their child’s class and school.” She would like to see every case counted, contact tracing done, outbreaks managed and greater access to PCR and rapid testing.

“Setting an arbitrary threshold of 30 percent only empowers Omicron,” she said. “We have no knowledge of what’s really going on in a classroom.”

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