This problem doesnt fully lay within the students, a school also needs to take the time and explain to students from a young age what it means to come to school because school is where kids, like me, come to learn and get exposed to new ideas and livelihoods that we cannot find at home. Schools must find out a way to combat this issue because if it lingers it will be harmful to them and to students. For example, a United Federation of Teachers graphic shows that if students, at an early age, miss time then their reading levels are lower than those who dont miss time. Chronic absences can be combated, but schools and students must take action before it gets out of control.
One way to combat the issue is through explaining to students. Personally, I go to a public high school and I do see students who miss extended amounts of time for no apparent reason. When these students come back they have fallen behind and, as a result, no longer show a passion to keep learning, granted this was a problem they created, but that doesnt excuse the fact they must also learn and be
entitled to the same education as their peers. Our school tries to take steps to reduce the absences through programs such as encouraging classrooms to have full attendance for five days to receive a reward for donuts. Nevertheless, I doubt this will have the intended effect. A better approach would be to take these chronically absent students in an after-school session or a parent-teacher conference and explain why students should strive to be at school as many days as possible. New Jerseys Department of Education outlined such an idea: Launch a schoolwide Attendance Campaign for all families during the first 30 days of school. Include a kickoff event with a parent speaker, a catchy slogan, and branded items distributed to students and caregivers (pencils, pens, notepads, noisemakers, etc.). By educating students and parents, both sides are more aware of the impact chronic absenteeism will have on the school and other students, as well as the chronically absent student. In all, educating students and parents will have a great impact on reducing chronic absenteeism.