(Canada) Ont: "Modified schedules, outright exclusions"; 33% of SPED kids not in school fulltime

Jan 22, 2026, Ontario Autism Coalition: Exclusion From School Must End - The Cost of Allowing Exclusions to Continue is Far Higher Than Ending Them

https://educationnewscanada.com/article/education/level/k12/3/1180657/exclusion-from-school-must-end-the-cost-of-allowing-exclusions-to-continue-is-far-higher-than-ending-them.html 

Modified schedules and outright exclusions from school are an enormous obstacle that prevent a large number of special education students from receiving a free and meaningful education. Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) data for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years show that approximately 33% of special education students are not attending full school days, with the number one reason for the modified schedule being that the school lacked the resources to safely support the student. In 2024-25, six percent were not attending school at all. The consequences are absolutely unacceptable. . . .

"If this were happening to non-disabled students regularly, there would be immediate public outrage. It would not be accepted. It would not be normalized," said OAC vice-president Kate Dudley Logue. "Yet when it comes to students with special education needs, exclusions have quietly become routine."

The OAC is calling on the Ford government to end the normalization of exclusion and to commit to ensuring that students with special education needs are receiving access to full school days and a meaningful, safe education.