Your kids might actually need to go to class now

Good morning from the Hammer — steel town, art town, your town. Don't look away.

So, the Ford government is cooking up something new for high schools, right? They're talking about giving kids credit on their final marks for just showing up to class. Like, physically being there, not just logging into a Google Meet from bed. Attendance is apparently down to 40% in some places across Ontario. Forty percent! That's insane. Listen, I'm from the Mountain, and back when I was at Westdale, if you skipped class, your parents knew before you even got home.

### What This Means for Hamilton Students

This isn't just some abstract provincial thing; it hits home right here, whether you're at Sir Allan MacNab, Cathedral, or Nora Frances Henderson. Think about it:

* Kids who are already struggling might actually show up more, just for the attendance bump.

* Teachers, already stretched thin, might have to spend more time tracking who's in the room instead of actually teaching.

* Could this make those morning buses, already packed on the Burlington Street corridor, even more crowded?

Honestly, it feels like they're trying to put a band-aid on a gaping wound. Kids aren't showing up for a reason, right? Is it just laziness, or is there more going on with mental health or needing to work? Making attendance a grade might get bodies in seats, but does it actually make them *learn*? That's the real question. It's a Barton Street story, really: trying to fix a big problem with a quick fix, and you gotta wonder if it'll actually work for the people who need it most.

My man Keith and the crew get into this and more every single morning — you gotta hear it live at mornings.live.