Ontario education minister urges parents not to pull kids from school for sports

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

Excused absences normally include illnesses and holy days, and while parents are allowed to excuse their children from school for a weekend hockey tournament that begins on a Friday, for example, Calandra says he doesn’t want that to be the norm.

be mindful

Flood watch in effect for two areas of Red Deer River basin

11h ago

a canadian act of generosity

Surge of blood donors needed around Canada Day

12h ago

New role

Wolf Creek appoints Shelley Leslie as assistant principal at Iron Ridge Intermediate Campus

15h ago

He says attendance rates in Ontario high schools are among the worst in the country, and something must be done.

“My advice to parents is, keep them in school,” he said Monday at an unrelated announcement.

“Education should be their priority. We’re going to monitor this over the next year, as I said last week, and if we have to make some additional modifications, we will.”

Calandra said the ministry has heard from the Ontario Hockey League, for example, when it comes to “high-level” athletes.

“High-level athletes in training, obviously, we’ll make some accommodation for that, but I say this again to the sports organizations as well: Education is a priority,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2026.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press