Schools are essential institutions within society. They allow the congregation of students to be motivated by the desire to acquire knowledge. This motivating factor allows students to better their lives by gaining skills necessary for the job sector. Moreover, the school develops a character that creates harmony within society. On the one hand, students who place importance on school are likely to avoid various vices such as crimes and drug use.
On the other hand, those who frequently miss school are likely to engage in these vices. This act of missing school intentionally is known as truancy. A truant, therefore, is a student who stays out of school without permission.
Students must play certain roles, such as arriving to school on time, attending classes, and upholding academic integrity and values. Schools establish these roles, and as a result, the values may vary depending on the school. However, they are often constant. For instance, all school administrations expect their students to uphold academic integrity. This means students cannot skip their exams or engage in cheating activities during tests and examinations. Students who do not emphasize these roles will likely face punishments such as break time reduction or exclusions, detentions, suspensions or expulsions. These punishments often vary depending on the type of rules that the student has broken. Noermanzah and Syafryadin posit that punishments improve student learning outcomes by arousing motivation and enthusiasm to become more active in learning (360). Students must be ready to uphold the roles and responsibilities that their schools establish.
Students are required to follow school attendance schedules prescribed by their schools. Staying out of school is, therefore, not plausible. Research indicates a correlation between staying out of school and delinquent behavior later in life (Rocque 593). Staying out of school can be motivated by factors such as peer pressure and lack of parental supervision. Peer pressure is high among students, especially teenagers. During this stage of development, students are often motivated by group mentality.
Consequently, if one of their friends suggests staying out of school, other friends may consider it—peer pressure results in students opting out of school. Lack of supervision also contributes to increased student dropout rates. Therefore, parents are required to be interested in their children’s education and be aware of their children’s routines to avoid scenarios such as skipping school. Staying out of school is detrimental to students’ present and future.
The reasons for staying out of school can be sensible, such as seeking medical care, visiting a sick family member, or attending a burial of a loved one. School administrations always approve these reasons and allow students to stay out of school for them. However, the reasons could be more logical when the administration does not grant permission. Often, students who stay out of school do not seek permission as they have no valid reasons for missing school. They are, therefore, unable to seek permission from the school administration as they are well aware that it will not be granted. Permission from the administration is a key component in defining a truant.
Conclusively, schools are a crucial component of society. They instil values and knowledge in students. Schools also improve students’ lives by providing them with the necessary skills for the job market. However, schools are faced with the problem of truancy among some of their students. Truants are students who stay out of school without permission. Students have various roles and responsibilities, such as upholding school values and academic integrity. They must also attend all their classes and arrive at school on time. Staying out of school is often not allowed as it affects student learning outcomes. Peer pressure and lack of supervision contribute to students staying out of school. While staying out of school is considered irresponsible, acquiring permission from the administration is necessary to prevent a student from being referred to as a truant. Permission to miss school from the administration distinguishes a student from a truant.
Works Cited
Noermanzah, Noermanzah, and Syafryadin Syafryadin. “The Importance of the Competence of Language Teachers in Providing Rewards and Punishments in Improving Student Learning Outcomes.” International Conference on the Teaching English and Literature. Vol. 1. No. 1. 2020.
Rocque, Michael, et al. “The importance of school attendance: Findings from the Cambridge study in delinquent development on the life-course effects of truancy.” Crime & Delinquency 63.5 2017: 592–612.
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