by Ally Chan

Created on: May 10, 2008   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

Skipping school should not be an offence.

I work in a typical "public" or (as it is known in this region) "neighbourhood" school. Students skipping lessons, or even the entire day of school, is as common an occurence as ant nests in the computer labs. I've run the entire hamster-wheel track of procedures and faced down supportive parents, unsupportive parents, and schizophrenic parents. And I do not think that the current one-size-fits-all rule of persecuting students for skipping school has helped in any bit.

Students who skip school do so for two reasons: pure laziness, or they've got a better deal outside. Sadly (but unsurprisingly), most students fall into the first category. They could not drag themselves out of bed on time, or they'd rather stay at home to watch TV, play computer games, or what have you. Strange to say, I've not heard of many cases of students staying at home to help Mom with the chores (though that, of course, has happened). For such students, the only way to help them stay in school is not to treat them as offenders, but rather as people who have made a choice. Punishing students for "offences" babies and disenfranchises them all the more. By all means, persuade, cajole, counsel - I am definitely in favor of early intervention - but should the school skipping persist, make it clear that they will be treated as people who have made a choice, and will have to live with it. Allow these students to fall through the cracks - fail exams, repeat the year, etc. In extreme cases, I've seen students who end up dropping out and, having to face the harsh reality of working life, run back sobbingly grateful into the arms of the school. Naturally, this would entail working with their parents to ensure they were not mollycoddled and given an allowance while wasting away at home. However, some students who took the drop-out-and-start-work route have found success and enjoyment out of school. In this case, they fall into category 2: Having a better deal outside.

I have a student who makes $2000 a month doing computer programming. Unsurprisingly, his attendance at school is dismal. Should we, the public, the educators, be concerned? In less extreme cases, students skip school because they derive better earnings and satisfaction working outside. In cases like these, we ought to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of education? Is it not to equip students with skills and learning to survive after graduation? We should realise that some students are able to develop these skills without having to stay in school the entire proscribed period! Let them go and wish them well. We have better battles to fight. And if they ever wish to come back, well, educational opportunities will always abound.

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