Sick Days Are Costly For Ontario School Boards

Recent studies indicate that Ontario teachers are taking an increased number of sick days. A 2016 report from School Boards' Co-operative Inc. ("SBCI"), a not-for-profit that provides Ontario school boards with actuarial advice, found that teacher and education worker absenteeism has risen dramatically from 8.86 days in the 2010-2011 school year to 10.29 days in 2014-2015.¹

The costs of teacher absenteeism are significant. The SBCI report estimates that the province-wide costs of teacher absences ballooned to over $920 million in the 2014-2015 school year.²

When a teacher is absent, an occasional teacher is assigned to the classroom and there is a concern about the continuity of teaching personnel in the classroom. Concerns have arisen that teacher absenteeism may have a negative impact on the delivery of the curriculum and the education program.