Memorandum to: Chairs of District School Boards
School Board Supervisors
Chief Executive Officers
Chief Education Officers
Secretaries/Treasurers of School Authorities

From: Honourable Paul Calandra
Minister of Education

Denise A. Cole
Deputy Minister of Education

Date: September 17, 2026

Subject: Provincial Policy on Student Attendance Confirmation During the School Day

The Minister of Education is issuing this memorandum pursuant to subsection 301(7) of the Education Act which grants authority for the Minister to establish policies and guidelines to promote the safety of pupils and subsection 301(9) which provides the Minister with authority to require boards to comply with policies and guidelines established by the Minister.

The Minister of Education is:

  • establishing a policy respecting mandatory rollcall protocols for elementary schools (JK-Grade 8) when students transition between locations during the school day.
  • requiring Boards to comply with the Minister’s policy.

The safety and well-being of students requires that schools maintain awareness of student presence and whereabouts throughout the school day. This policy establishes a province-wide minimum standard to ensure that all students are accounted for during the start of instructional periods, following recess and nutrition breaks, and other movements between locations during the school day (e.g. assemblies, rotation between classes).

This policy is effective immediately.

Appendix A outlines the details of the policy and all requirements.

We thank you for your ongoing commitment and collaboration in supporting student safety.

Sincerely,

The Hon. Paul Calandra
Minister of Education

Denise A. Cole        
Deputy Minister

Appendix A – Policy on Student Attendance Confirmation During the School Day

Ministry Policy Requirements:

This policy is supplementary and does not replace formal attendance reporting requirements established through ministry and school board policy/procedures, including Policy/Program Memorandum 123: Safe Arrivals and the Enrolment Register Instructions.

School boards are required to establish and implement procedures for elementary schools to verify the presence of students after key physical transition points during the school day.

  • Students must be accounted for:
    • At the beginning of each instructional period
    • Upon returning from recess, lunch, nutrition breaks
    • Immediately after the movement of students between locations, including but not limited to:
      • Outdoor activities on and off school property, including field trips
      • School assemblies and other school events during the school day
      • Movement between classes on a rotary schedule, including transitions between portables and the school building
  • Student presence can be confirmed through:
    • A recorded headcount or rollcall
    • Attendance verification through a board approved electronic system
    • Another board approved method that allows teachers to confirm and report the presence and location of students
  • In all cases, teachers must record and report the information to the school office in a manner determined by the principal or designate as soon as reasonably possible. If there is any discrepancy that exists concerning a student’s whereabouts, the principal or designate must be notified immediately after discovering the discrepancy.

Response Protocols for Students Unaccounted For

  • Where a discrepancy in the pupil count is identified and cannot otherwise be accounted for (e.g., late to class, participation in a school program, etc.):
    • The teacher will re-confirm their record against the class roster.
    • The teacher will report the discrepancy immediately to the principal or designate and the school office.
    • The school office will confirm if there is any other reason the student is not in class that may have not been communicated to the teacher.
    • The school must initiate their usual protocols for a missing student in alignment with requirements under the Provincial Model for a Local Police/School Board Protocol (2026).
  • School boards shall maintain records to demonstrate compliance with this policy and are required to report to the Ministry of Education, upon request, their activities to implement the requirements in this policy.
  • Where the ministry determines that a board has failed to implement or maintain measures required by this policy, the ministry may require the school board to develop and implement a plan to take corrective action.

Related Policies and Guidelines: