Absenteeism in School – an Open Speech
Absenteeism may be described as the students’ absence from school, be this authorized or unauthorized. It has long been a vexatious issue for school authorities. Absenteeism in school is the habit of staying away from school without providing a genuine or any reason for not attending classes. Students are absent from school every day without a bona fide excuse. The Counseling Club of our school carried out a survey to find out the reasons why the students are absent. Absenteeism is a truant behavior that negatively affects the performance among students.
Absenteeism can lead to depression and also result in the poor quality of education as a result of time lost while being away from school. Most of the students who are absent say that they find the lessons boring. In light of this revelation, teachers should try and explore creative technologies and teaching ideas to increase student attendance. It could also lead to moral degradation that leads to drug abuse, early pregnancies, and unruly behavior. Obtaining poor grades was another reason for frequent absenteeism. If the school becomes a place where students feel unsuccessful, then they want to avoid it. Therefore, special tutorial programs should be initiated to equip students with adequate academic skills.
Absenteeism is caused by many factors as such as:
- Phobic Adolescence: During this stage in the growth of a teen, there is a lot of fear developed as a result of physical changes of the body for example growth of pimples, turbulent emotions e.t.c.
- Lack of Interest: Students could be lacking interest in the study, which could be a result of the content that is difficult for them to grasp hence pushing them away from school.
- Teacher approach: The approach used by teachers may not be understood by the student and this could lead them to lose interest in school.
- School Infrastructural Facilities: Lack of libraries, sports facilities is a hindrance to the attendance of school among students.
- Entertainment: Accessibility of entertainment facilities like cinemas could divert the attention of some students from the school.
Absenteeism can be remedied by providing adequate co-curricular activities to students. Peer influence also has a significant bearing on student attendance. Students often miss class to be in the company of friends. Students who associate with delinquent peer groups are at risk. Student absenteeism may also be a red flag for a more serious problem such as anxiety, loneliness, and stress. These students should be sent for counseling sessions. In addition, after school sports and other programs will enable students to make new friends and experience a positive environment. The results of the survey show that lack of parental supervision may also lead to absenteeism among students. As parental involvement relates closely to student attendance and academic progress, parents should be reminded of their responsibilities. It could be curbed by creating clubs and societies to keep students busy when they are out of class. School authorities should liaise with the police and the local community to patrol neighborhoods where truant students are likely to spend school hours. . Schools should strive to have up to date learning facilities like libraries as well as sporting facilities to make students enhance student retention.
Occasional absenteeism among students can be excused. However, frequent absenteeism is a cause for concern as it has often been linked to serious problems such as violence, substance abuse, gang involvement, and criminal activity such as burglary and vandalism. Left unaddressed, absenteeism can have significant negative effects on students, the school, and society. Therefore, it is critical to determine the reasons for absenteeism and identify strategies to tackle the problem.
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