The task force that has been set up by the Education Ministry to combat school absenteeism is a step that should be commended.
Absenteeism in schools – in particular in government schools – is a phenomenon that has so far not been curbed as much as was expected in spite of the efforts made over the years.
It does not seem that disciplinary measures taken are enough to reduce the number of schooldays that are missed by students, especially those attending secondary schools.
It is not surprising that the older students play truant more than the younger ones. In primary schools, it is mostly the parents who take their children right to the school front door. The more they grow, the more the children become independent and therefore the more likely it is that they go to school on their own. They are supposed to go, that is.
Figures released by Education Minister Louis Galea a few days ago indicate that between September 2002 and March 2003 each pupil missed an average of 8.68 days in state secondary schools and 2.75 days in government primary schools.
One must notice that the figures do not refer to a full scholastic year, but to two-thirds of it.
Added to this, during the same period, there was an authorised absence of 5.75 days on average among secondary school students and 5.54 among primary school pupils.
What Minister Galea highlighted after giving out the figures is that the problem of absenteeism goes beyond simply not attending school. It has far-reaching consequences on a variety of other factors not directly related to schooling.
Research carried out links absenteeism with delinquency, low student achievement, low self-esteem, reduced employment potential and reduced earning potential. So, really, missing school for no valid reason could mean a lower quality of life in adulthood.
This is something that parents must understand. Because, although there are several cases when the parents do not know that their son or daughter is skipping school, others are in full cognizance of the situation but do little to rectify matters.
Some actually encourage their children not to go to school by telling them to give them a helping hand at their place of work. By so doing, they are pushing their children away from much-needed education – and here we are not only referring to Maltese, maths and English.
Dr Galea also hinted that even when the absence of a child from school is justified with a medical certificate, there are doubts as to whether all cases are genuine.
He said that the task force is not pleased with the large amount of doctor’s certificates that are issued, and this is one of the matters that the task force will be dealing with.
In a way, the minister was sending a warning to medical practitioners not to abuse the system. In between the lines, he was saying that doctors play an important part in combating absenteeism.
Truancy must be addressed if “we are to achieve the goal of leading the nation in improving student achievement,” Dr Galea said.
One other important point in this connection is that Parliament approved an amendment to the Education Act so that students who are permitted to leave school before the age of 16 will have to follow an educational programme run by the Education Division, the Employment and Training Corporation or MCAST. Unless this programme is followed, the permission will be revoked.
This is, again, a positive measure that will be extremely helpful to those teenagers who, in agreement with their parents, decide to leave school early.
Having said this – and this is a piece of advice to all students and their parents – it is always better to continue attending school at least until the age of 16.