With
all the hurdles and obstacles facing our young people today, an issue often underestimated is the far reaching effects of failing to attend school. Truancy, or chronic absence from school has a much more profound effect than poor grades, and the repercussions can last a truants’ lifetime; in turn adversely affecting society. The fact is, truancy is the manifestation of a whole host of other problems, ranging from factors such as the school and its facilities, the student’s home life, or personal issues the student is experiencing.
There is no single reason for students becoming truants. Many factors can lead to a student’s decision to repeatedly skip school; the list of which is unfortunately extremely long. Those experiencing learning difficulties can often feel as though there is little point to being in school, especially if their problems are undiagnosed or misunderstood. Neglect, both at home or at school can make a child feel unwanted or unworthy and lead to low self-esteem or lack of desire to learn. This can lead to poor grades; further diminishing a child’s self-esteem.
Abusive behaviours, again either at home from parents, or in school from either teachers or peers, can deter a child from attending. On the one hand, they may fear to discover of what is happening at home, and on the other fear for their safety at school.
Substance abuse by parents can often lead to children being neglected or having to become carers which can limit the time they feel able to attend or leave them with too few essentials to present themselves. The financial limitations some families experience similarly leave children feeling they have inadequate resources to fit in with the requirements for school. Another issue affecting our demography is child labour. Many young people are out on the streets trying to earn a dollar instead of attending school. Unfortunately, sometimes for their own survival. How many young people have been on the streets during school hours dancing for Mash lately? Not just for a day of celebration, but for a couple of weeks?
Whatever the reason, a truanting child is more likely to engage in other risky behaviour, not only due to the fact that they are usually unsupervised, but also because of whatever underlying issues are causing the action. Truancy often acts as what can be described as gateway behaviour that can lead to students trying drugs and alcohol, engaging in other anti-social or criminal behaviour, and ultimately dropping out of school altogether. Research shows that they are also more likely to become victims of crimes themselves. Underage drinking and illegal drug activity obviously carries another set of alarming risks, including dangerous sexual behaviours that increase the possibilities of underage pregnancy and the contracting of STD’s and HIV.
This is a global issue and has been in effect for many years, only of late increasing figures and more severe consequences have necessitated serious preventive measures to be sought and implemented. Knowing and understanding the ineffectiveness of imposing ever-harsher penalties on students that usually increase truancy rather than prevent it, has led to the development of more successful truancy prevention programmes that instead address the factors contributing to truancy. These include increased parental involvement, diversion from the court system through alternative programmes such as counselling and community service, individual mentorship and increased training for law enforcement officials on how to better handle truancy cases.
At a time when education is under the spotlight, the truancy rates tell a story of their own; there is evidentially a need to address our own situation here in Guyana accordingly. Some of the conditions under which we are expecting our young people to learn are simply not good enough.
When students feel unsafe, unchallenged, or unimportant at school, they may decide not to attend. More accountability for insisting on documented reasons for absences and engaging in regular dialogue with parents of absent children is necessary for schools. Moving forward with more engaging teaching methods and building stronger relationships with students will motivate them to attend school. Providing a varied and interesting curriculum that allows for the diverse abilities of students will help to make our children feel valued and worthy. Personal issues need to be recognised and addressed as early as possible.
For parents; ensuring policy regarding the reporting of absences is adhered to and that they are providing their children with the necessities, both physically and mentally.
Truancy is one of the loudest cries for help a student can communicate, we need to be hearing and attending to those cries. We need to ensure schooldays are the most exciting, productive and carefree days of our children’s lives; as they ought to be.
