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Until recently, the student-absenteeism epidemic wasn’t a major focus of academic research. The good news is chronic absentees are now viewed through a much different lens than they were in the ’70s, thanks in part to groups like the Canadian School Attendance Partnership, established to correct the dearth of data in this country. We’re now aware that there are different types of absenteeism—skipping, social-anxiety avoidance, parent-excused absences and school-sanctioned absences. Some students are struggling with mental issues or juggling their studies with a part-time job to supplement their family’s income. Others simply exhibit what’s known as “school refusal behaviour”—or just not wanting to go.