The New Brunswick school year is ending with a stubbornly high chronic absenteeism rate for students. The provincial government defines chronic absenteeism as a student missing 10 per cent or more of instructional time (over 18 days total in a school year). Data from September to May shows 30.9 per cent of students between kindergarten and Grade 12 as being chronically absent across the province: 23.6 per cent for elementary school students, 31.4 per cent for middle school students, and 39.8 per cent for high school students. The provincial target for chronic absenteeism is 29 per cent. Data for the full 2025-26 school year, which officially ended on Friday, will be released later this summer. A closer look at the district level shows chronic absenteeism rates registering far above the provincial average, including a rate of nearly 50 per cent for high school students in Anglophone School District West. The provincial government says chronic absenteeism has “basically doubled” since the COVID-19 pandemic, and has stated its goal to reduce chronic absenteeism to 28 per cent by June 2027, and 26 per cent by June 2028. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
