No more doctor's notes required for certain short absences in Quebec schools

Elementary and high school students in Quebec will no longer be required to get a doctor's note for short absences from school. (Pexels)

The Quebec government announced on Friday that elementary and high school students, as well as students in higher education, will no longer be required to present a doctor's note to justify certain absences from class starting next fall.

Quebec presented the measure as a way of reducing the administrative burden on doctors, who have long argued that they spend too much time managing paperwork.

Quebec is asking primary and secondary schools to stop requiring a doctor's note to justify an absence of less than five days, as well as for so-called "in-house" exams.

However, a medical certificate will still be required for absences from Grade 10 and 11 ministry exams, since these are required exams for high school diplomas.

For longer absences, schools will be free to set their own policies regarding doctor's notes.

A medical certificate may be required for absences from primary and secondary ministerial exams, depending on the policy of each school, which is already the case.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 31, 2024.