Saskatchewan Rivers School Division education director Neil Finch noted a distinct difference in attendance patterns between rural and urban students during the board’s regular meeting on Monday.
Finch delivered a report that included rural and urban attendance levels from 2023 to 2025. The report shows the rural absenteeism average is 12.92 per cent, while the urban absenteeism average sits at 30.91 per cent.
The divisional average in 2025 was 20.71 per cent.
“There’s just a different level of urgency to have students in school in our rural (areas) right now than there are in the urban overall,” Finch said.
In 2023 the division launched a social media awareness campaign around falling attendance rates. Since then, schools have tried different tactics to engage students and families about the importance of attendance.
The divisionput together an Attendance Coalition, which a collection of senior administration, teachers and students and a hope to add community partners in the future It is also working on a one-to-one basis at the school level to engage parents.
“We’re working with all families, whether they’re rural or urban, to make sure that families understand, and students understand the importance of attending school,” Finch said.
In 2023 the division’s absenteeism average was 20.87 per cent, with rural absenteeism sitting at 13.95 per cent and urban absenteeism at 29.11 per cent. In 2024, the division average was 20.73 per cent, the rural average was 14.84 per cent and the urban average was 28.43 per cent.
The report noted that the division will continue to work with and support families and communities to ensure attendance is important for students in all communities
Finch noted that the work all had the same end goals.
“In the end, we want students to be in school. We think it’s important and know that there’s lots of value in attending school,” Finch said.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
