Truancy in secondary school is a growing issue in Belize due to the lack of parental guidance, students lacking the understanding of the important of an education and the community not giving support to families in the different districts. Truancy is defined as illegal absence from school for compulsory education. Being absence from school is not just missing from class for a day, students on their own free will make excuses not to go to a class or skipping or cutting class. There are other terms used for the word truancy such as ‘skulling,’ that is used in Jamaica, ‘skulking,’ used in Guyana, or ‘miss class,’ a term used in Belize.
There are many causes for truancy in secondary schools. Firstly, students sometimes have learning disabilities, which cause them to feel like they do not belong in a classroom with other students that are quicker learners. Secondly, students may live in a poor family situation that causes them to be too ashamed to be among other students, perhaps because they cannot afford name-brand clothes and shoes. Thirdly, some students have poor parental guidance, parents with poor parenting skills. Finally, some students are picked on or bullied by other students or even people in the community which causes them to fear going out in public which includes attending school.
Students have inadequate opportunity to learn when they are absent from school causing them the lack of an educational background, the opportunity for quality jobs and at times being respectable persons in the community. Truancy even causes student’s to end up in unwanted pregnancy, criminal behaviour, inadequate careers, increase in the unemployment rate and lower jobs earning. These are some of the many issues that occur daily but if students, parents and the community work together there will be a growth in better education for students’ future career.
To reduce truancy in secondary schools parents, students, teachers or lectures and the entire community have to work hand in hand. Parents must ensure that their child or children attend school for a productive life and successful career. The schools should have classroom of not more than twenty-five (25) students in a class to improve students the quantity and quality of attention teachers can offer each student. The community assist the parents and teachers in whatever way possible to ensure that students are in class and not out in the community during school hours. The purpose of truancy reduction efforts is to help students attend and engaged in school to be successful students and gain an education for a successful career.
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