“Research and data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that out of the four different stages of school, high school is in the lead with more than 20 percent of students being absent in some of their classes and middle school has 14 percent of students absent,” declared the Bronx River News. So, why do so many students skip class in high school?
Before we get into it though, let’s clarify the definition. When I say skipping, I don’t just mean missing class when someone is sick or has a doctor’s appointment. I mean true skipping just for the sake of it. Students don’t feel like going to class, so they stay home or go somewhere else. But why do they do it? One student cleared things up: “Class is boring sometimes, and when I skip a class so much, it’s like well, I haven’t been there all week, so I can’t go today.” Another student explained, “Half the time, we aren’t doing anything!” And sometimes when there’s just class work, why do it in class when one can just do the same assignment at home or in their car?
I’ve noticed that once students start, it’s hard to stop. According to the University of People, “Once you skip class once, you will likely be tempted to skip again. This can lead to a pattern of skipping class that you never meant to get into.” Once students start skipping too much, their grades will start to show it, and sometimes people may not even meet the graduation requirements for attendance.
Besides, skipping interferes with the way students learn a curriculum, which makes it harder to come back after being absent. Teaching relies on attendance, instruction, and engagement in the lesson that students are missing when they skip. Ensuring that teachers can properly engage their students when frequent skippers do show up, and making those students feel welcome might improve student attendance.
According to some sources, another cause of frequent skipping has to do with the pandemic and the rise of school shootings. One article says, “While students skipping school is nothing new, COVID-19 and problems arising from pandemic learning, cultural polarization, and school shootings have likely exacerbated the truancy crisis.” So, this could explain that some students don’t come because they’re scared to go to school after seeing bad things on the news. The school district and local community may try their best to make school feel like a safe space, but some students still feel that the risk is too high.
Next, I wanted to get a teacher’s opinion on students skipping since it’s the teachers and parents who are so concerned about this “crisis”. I asked Mr. Glover, a teacher at West Seattle High School, why he thinks students skip his class, if he ever takes it personally, and what he can do to help students skip less. He said, “School sucks; they don’t want to be here, that’s why. It’s not them skipping that I take personal, but when they come back and except for me to help them out, because then it takes my time.” It’s frustrating for teachers to know someone didn’t respect them enough or didn’t care enough to stay in class, but don’t want to face consequences like grade failure for skipping. Mr. Glover continued, “Knowing that work sucks too, I would love to just get up and leave and still get paid, but it doesn’t work like that.” Mr. Glover’s input shows us that students skipping is only a problem for them when they make it so. If you skip and come running back to the teacher for help, know that it’s rude!
Some are looking at the truancy problems and treating them like a true crisis, but I don’t think it is. Sometimes, students just need a mental health day; Bronx River News said, “Skipping class in general is not a good option but sometimes you need a break from schoolwork to relax the brain.” Another article claimed, “If you have gone through the class enough times to know that your instructor’s teaching strategy simply isn’t working for you, and you have found more effective ways to learn the material, it may make sense to spend that class time doing something else.” So, some students skip because they feel like they don’t need to come, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t performing well in the class.
At the end of the day, students have free will, and teachers can’t make them do anything. It’s up to students how they choose to spend their time, and they must face the repercussions for whatever they decide. Even if students are missing important tests or seemingly “throwing away their future”, the best faculty can do is support students and help them feel welcome and accepted.
