Sun* has been missing for weeks. The first sign of alarm for me was the number of 'x's' I was putting next to his name on the attendance register. When I made enquiries, no one had heard from Sun or been able to contact him. Sun's absence could be felt in every aspect of the school day, as Sun was usually the one to volunteer at assemblies —Sun would sing the anthem, lead the pledge and say the prayers. In class, Sun would volunteer answers when others were silent and tried to keep the peace in the class.
Sun is missing. What did I do about this?
I called his home. No one answered. I tried for days. One morning after an assembly from which Sun's absence was felt, a few of his friends lingered behind. I was suspicious and looked to see what they were up to. Turns out they were waiting to catch me alone. They were worried about Sun and told a tale that would make your hair stand on end, as it did mine. I would never have guessed! I immediately contacted the social worker, guidance officer and Dean.
Sun has been missing for weeks.
Through a pipeline of hearsays. I learnt that Sun's parent had decided to 'homeschool' Sun. This. This dear reader...
This was terrifying given what I had learnt about Sun's home life. I strongly believe (I refuse still to speak of Sun in the past tense) that what Sun is receiving is not homeschooling. This level of absenteeism by and from a student is new to me. But one thing I know. Sun loves school. So being away from school is certainly not the decision of Sun.
It made me think of the helplessness of children. It made me think of my own helplessness in this situation. Together, the Dean, social worker and guidance officer followed the path within the parameters of our authority. What I learnt was that our hands are tied. Another Authority would take up the case. And we wait...
How many Suns are out there?
The rise in unauthorized absences has gotten worse. It was already bad before and reached critical levels during and directly post Covid pandemic. I firmly believe that the level of absenteeism in local schools is a safeguarding issue and we should all be concerned.
I am sure we call all figure out that when students are absent our concern should be more than academic setbacks. We should be looking at the root causes.
First let's look at some figures:
Source: Secondary School's ASR's EPD, MOE
Then let's look at some headlines:
What these reveal are the long term effects of chronic and unchecked absenteeism —high dropout rates. Of course these issues are effects of symptoms like socioeconomic challenges, family dynamics, the school environment and health issues. Sometimes all at once for some students. Many children are forced to choose work over school in homes where domestic violence is rampant or where they are neglected. School often times do not offer the respite these children expect as they face bullying, lack of engagement and a hostile environment. All of this may be coupled with their personal health issues like asthma and depression.
This means that these children are at risk for exploitation, inevitable academic failure and dropout, and as well all well know, 'influences from the block.' All of these effects of absenteeism means that they ae more likely to have their future opportunities limited, feel more isolated, and become easy targets for negative influence of those who engage in risky behaviours and are delinquent themselves.
It means that we must create safe environments by ensuring that schools are safe places for students. Teachers must also be made aware of their role and the steps they can take to identify at risk students and where they can seek guidance. The already burdened support services must help in this process and in reidentifying students. The most important mitigating step is getting the community and parents involved. The saying of 'it takes a village to raise a child' is there for a reason. The involvement of parents and communities is crucial in addressing the issue of student absenteeism.
The solution can come from looking at the causes. Protecting our children is not about academic success and good results. It is about ensure a safe future for our youth and by extension our society—an impetus we have been miserably failing at.
Copyright © 2024 Lana. S
*name change
Source
Glasgow-Brown, J. (2012). Factors that contribute to student absenteeism: An investigation into a secondary school within the Educational District of Victoria.
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