Name: Why are so many kids calling in sick for school?
Uploaded: 2025-11-22T09:51:03.412Z
Duration: 3 min 35 s
Description: An exclusive analysis shows a rise in students across Canada calling in sick compared to 5 years ago. For The National, CBC’s Tara Carman breaks down what the data reveals and speaks to leading experts about what could be behind the increase in school absenteeism.

An exclusive analysis shows a rise in students across Canada calling in sick compared to 5 years ago. For The National, CBC’s Tara Carman breaks down what the data reveals and speaks to leading experts about what could be behind the increase in school absenteeism.

Manitoba

A CBC Canada analysis has identified a notable rise in student absences due to reported illness in schools across the country compared to five years ago. Attendance data from major school districts show that thousands of students are absent daily, with many cases attributed to reasons beyond physical illness, such as anxiety and bullying.

Researchers and families indicate that anxiety, test stress, difficulty fitting in, and bullying are significant contributors to school avoidance. Parents often face the challenge of balancing their children's educational needs with their mental well-being, sometimes opting to keep them home when they appear unable to cope.

Why are so many kids calling in sick for school?

School avoidance. Some days I just like really don't want to go in. What is he saying about why he doesn't want to go? You don't always get a clear reason. A CBC exclusive analysis shows a rise in students across the country calling in sick. Every day there are thousands of students who are out of school. What's causing so many to stay home? Kids don't always have the words to express what's going on. I play hot cross buns except this one gets like stuck. Two months into the new school year and 12-year-old William DePasquale has already missed 10 days of grade 7. I don't really like school at the moment. Having cereal, getting your outfit together just starts to show up in resistance. William's father Noram works from home. Five minus seven, yeah. He has the added task of supervising William when he doesn't want to go to school. At about the time where you have to get them to school so that you can get back to start your work day. So the clock is ticking and you know that sort of subtle resistance is very effective. What is he saying about why he doesn't want to go? You don't always get a clear reason. It might be sometimes I'm feeling sick. Maybe that's legit sometimes. Maybe it's not necessarily legit other times. Maybe there's another reason like bullying in the schoolyard that's happening. I twitch a lot in class. And like sometimes I get made fun of that. Can you tell me about what happens? Just say like mean stuff. And how does that feel? Well sometimes I'm like I don't care okay yeah you said it. But sometimes it like kind of like hurts. When there's been an incident at school like it carries with him the next day. And then the next morning it becomes the reason why he doesn't want to go to school that day. To find out how widespread this is, CBC News obtained attendance data from some of the largest school districts in the country. Of those that track illness, our analysis shows compared to five years ago, absences for reported illness went up. When we think about school attendance we think about it as a symptom of underlying issues that can be going on. We do have to set a date for that. Natasha McBriarty and David Smith belong to a research partnership investigating attendance issues among children and youth in Canada. We know from the families we work with, we know from the service providers, that anxiety definitely is a contributor to attendance. Anxiety over taking a test. Difficulty fitting in. Stress at home. Bullying. The staying home, this is a well-known, well-documented reaction of kids and parents to bullying situations. Every day there are like hundreds or thousands of students who are out of school because of the bullying that they're experiencing. Students like William. Sometimes when you don't want to go to school, your mom says you get a tummy ache. Well sometimes, like, I eat something and like my stomach hurts after eating it. Mom's going to pass you some seaweed there for your lunch and a thermos for your lunch. You do your best, you want your child to go to school every day so they can learn, grow and thrive, but you also have to look out for your child's well-being and mental well-being and there are days where you look at your child and they simply, they don't have it in them to go to school that day.

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