Children are entitled to go to school: advocate
For many Yukon students, today is the first day of their 2019-2020 school year.
By Whitehorse Star on August 21, 2019
For many Yukon students, today is the first day of their 2019-2020 school year.
The Yukon’s child and youth advocate, however, is anxious about the number of children and youth not attending school.
“We are concerned about the number of children in Yukon who don’t go to school,” Annette King said Tuesday.
Yukon children and youth ages five to 21 are entitled to an education, and children ages five to 16 are required to go to school.
King’s office provides individual advocacy for children and youth who are eligible to access Yukon government services and programs, including the Department of Education.
In 2018-2019, King addressed approximately 70 advocacy issues for children and youth in the education system. These advocacy issues vary from lack of educational supports, bullying, conflict with teachers, and school attendance.
The advocacy issues brought to King echo what the research shows as being barriers to school attendance.
“There is not just one barrier that impacts attendance,” said King.
There are a number of school-related factors and personal factors that need to be respectfully considered and identified for each student, she said.
“The themes identified in the recent report by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (Kindergarten through Grade 12 Education in the Yukon) focused on areas that directly relate to what we are seeing during individual advocacy for children and youth in the education system,” King said.
She is reminding everyone that children and youth have a right to an education that supports the development of their personality, talents and abilities to the fullest potential.
These rights are articulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and is supported by Yukon’s Education Act.
The Education Act also supports children’s right to attend school and their right to have the specialized supports they need to learn in a way that fits for them.
Furthermore, children who require special education programs are entitled to receive individualized education plans that should be implemented within their school and classroom setting.
“A part of the advocacy process can be helping children and youth return back to school in a learning environment that suits their individualized needs,” said King.
“We see very few children who tell us that they don’t want to go to school at all; most want to go to school but need the proper support to make their education journey a successful and rewarding experience.”
In May, King formally notified the Department of Education of the systemic issue of inconsistent school attendance and requested to be advised of steps taken to reduce the barriers to school attendance.
She is meeting with the department’s senior management team to address the issue of school attendance individually for each child identified to her office and systemically to improve the experiences and outcomes for children and youth in the education system.
King believes that inconsistent school attendance is both a cause and outcome of the concerns addressed by the Auditor General.
The Auditor General’s report highlighted gaps in achievement between First Nations and non-First Nations students in the Yukon, which were also identified in 2013-2014.
They continue to exist in the areas of literacy, numeracy and writing.
“If children don’t feel a sense of belonging and success at school, it is less likely that they will attend consistently; at the same time, you won’t feel success at school if you don’t go,” she said.
Furthermore, King’s systemic review of group care (Empty Spaces Caring Connections, April 2019) showed that irregular school attendance and dropping out of school were significant concerns for children and youth living in group homes.
“We are very concerned about the number of children who don’t attend school consistently and what this means for future outcomes for the rest of their lives,” said King.
Addressing the reasons for poor attendance, such as a lack of connection or sense of belonging to the school coming, or lack of formal supports for the student, can positively affect school attendance and provide opportunities for improved academic achievement, she pointed out.
“Ultimately, we are hoping that children and youth will return back to school, with the necessary supports they need to feel successful,” she said.
King’s office is an independent office of the legislative assembly.
Its operations are guided by the Child and Youth Advocate Act.
Comments (2)
Up 30 Down 4
JC on Aug 21, 2019 at 5:17 pm
Children also have the right not to have to go to a school that has bullies. Many children are being distracted by such and have a difficult time concentrating on their school work and sports. Most don't report these things and try to adjust to them. I realize everyone of age has the right to an education, but bullies have to be segregated from the others. Both in the class, play yards and buses. Strange how these so called experts haven't figured this out yet.
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Gringo on Aug 21, 2019 at 4:40 pm
By supports I assume that would be a educational assistant with one of one capabilities for the children that need it. I would suggest that there is not enough supply for the demand. Ironically the department is cutting these positions in many schools which is contrary to the need in the report.