Absenteeism is a problem that affects all schools everywhere. What is still uncertain is why children bunk off lessons much to the despair of policymakers, educators and parents. The assumptions that underpin government policy on school absenteeism are often disputed by educators who engage in research on truancy.

The Malta Union of Teachers argues that long periods of absence often result in students misbehaving badly and failing to adapt to the school structure. Union president Marco Bonnici claims that schools and educators are bending over backwards to address the needs of such students with little support.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo informed Parliament that in the scholastic year 2016-17 almost 2,000 parents had to face legal action for not sending their children to school. He blames parents for the high incidence of truancy and maintains that those who were taken to various tribunals for not sending their children to school did not have a valid excuse to do so. National Statistics Office figures confirm that in 2016-17 absenteeism increased by 4.6 per cent over the previous scholastic year.

Empirical research conducted in the UK throws a more important light on the reasons behind the increase in truancy. Statistics reveal only a part of this growing problem. Students are very good at ‘hidden’ absences. They may like to hide in the toilets or leaving a lesson after being marked present. These incidents will not be included in the absenteeism figures.

A study by Philippa James, a PhD researcher at Cardiff University, claims there is little evidence of a correlation between truancy and socio-economic background or criminal activity. The main social concern is about what children are doing when they stay away from their classroom. She found that school absentees mainly engaged in smoking though there will always be some who engage in more serious crime.

Some research also debunks the myth that truants are non-conformist pupils or less academically able. Skipping lessons can often be a common coping strategy, evident in many schools. Truancy is usually a response to factors within the school such as teachers not engaging with pupils who find lessons ‘boring’.

Most students generally enjoy school and believe in education but opt out when aspects of their training are seen by them as ineffective. Introducing more technology in the classrooms can be stimulative but the novelty soon wears off. The big challenge for educators is to make their lessons meaningful to children.

The government policy of ramping up truancy-monitoring and imposing more serious punishments may unintentionally be worsening absenteeism. Children soon learn that it is becoming harder to skip a single lesson and, therefore,they miss a whole day to avoid being caught. Some educators argue that the more truancy monitoring is tightened, the more students develop strategies to avoid detection.

There is an urgent need for educators, policymakers, parents and even students to engage in a soul-searching exercise about the tools being used to make education interesting. We need to go beyond commenting on statistics and acknowledge the inadequacies that afflict our educational system. The responsibility for reducing truancy must not be attributed solely to parents, educators and, much less, to pupils.

Politicians project themselves as visionaries by promoting futuristic technology. They will serve our society better if they make basic schooling more engaging for young people.

This is a Times of Malta print editorial

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