Manitoba to change school attendance law

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This article was published 13/03/2024 (627 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba children will be required to attend school by age six, under legislation introduced Wednesday.

The compulsory school age will be lowered from seven as of the 2025-26 school year, under Bill 21, the Public Schools Amendment Act.

“As far as mandatory attendance in schools goes, it’s important,” Education Minister Nello Altomare said.

“You get to take advantage of the nutrition program earlier and it also builds continuity with their neighbourhood schools so they can get in there earlier,” he told reporters.

He said it’s important children be surrounded by their peers and learn to be part of the community.

“We want to ensure they have that capability – that parents can do that,” he said.

The bill would broaden the definition of who is considered a resident pupil so children who stay with family are able to attend school.

“With families who are accepting kids into their homes, sometimes they have to provide proof of residence that they’re actually going to be there permanently,” the minister explained. “What this will allow for is if that kid is staying with that family member, whatever (the child’s) address is, if it’s in that catchment area, then they can be in that school.”

It was one of five bills the government introduced Wednesday, including Bill 18, the Community Child Care Standards Amendment Act, which would enable grants to support child care education or training provided by post-secondary institutions.

Three other bills were introduced:

— Bill 19, the Drivers and Vehicles Amendment Act, would make provisions for dealing with written-off, salvageable and irreparable motor vehicles apply to heavy trailers.

— Bill 20, the Highway Traffic Amendment Act, would mean a person who fails to have an ignition-interlock device installed in their vehicle would no longer be able to appeal the suspension of their licence or their participation in the ignition-interlock program.

— Bill 25, the Interim Appropriation Act, 2024, would authorize operating expenditures, capital investments, loans and guarantees and set out borrowing and spending limits.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca