Problem Background
Maintaining a regular school attendance schedule affords pupils the best opportunity to achieve their academic objectives. Students should therefore make every effort to be in class. It is challenging for teachers and students to make progress and acquire new skills when many students consistently miss classes. Students habitually absent from school are more likely to get into legal trouble and cause community disturbances. Additionally, children may experience a decline in their academic performance.
Attendance has an impact not just on students but also on their instructors. Students’ academic performance is negatively impacted when their instructors skip a portion of the allotted class time or fail to appear. In contrast, students are primarily accountable for their academic success or failure. If students maintain a consistent attendance record in class, they can cover all variables that contribute to academic achievement.
Practices, Policies, and Procedures That Relate to the Topic
Class participation enhances a student’s understanding of the material being covered, contributes to the success of class activities, and provides students with opportunities to cultivate ethical and moral values. Additionally, maintaining high professionalism is essential for providing accurate regulatory perspectives (Al Shenawi et al., 2021). Absenteeism is associated with a range of adverse outcomes for institutions. Schools should have clear, well-defined policies and procedures to guide their daily operations and ensure effective functioning. These regulations encompass a range of topics, including student attendance and behavior, disciplinary measures, and emergency response procedures.
Most schools have separate handbooks for students, teachers, staff, and parents. The rules and expectations outlined in these handbooks ensure the school’s proper operation and hold all students accountable for adhering to them. The school’s policies and procedures should be straightforward and unambiguous.
To ensure that the rules are followed, the intended audience (whether students, parents, or staff) must be able to understand them. Additionally, administrators should make it a habit to regularly review policy manuals to ensure that all policies are current and up-to-date. In general, a school’s policies and procedures aim to establish clear expectations, ensure the safety of students and staff, and provide students with an excellent education.
The cumulative impact of lost school days becomes evident on a student-by-student basis with each absence. Students who are punished for missing school may aggravate the problem. When pupils miss school too frequently, the school responds with disciplinary penalties such as detention, suspension, and the loss of course credits. Regardless of whether their absence was justified, students who are absent from school are denied the opportunity to learn by the school’s instructional program (Al Shenawi et al., 2021). On the other hand, students who are persistently absent from school are sometimes excluded from additional learning opportunities due to their poor attendance.
Importance of the Problem
It is essential to have a high rate of student attendance, as regular school attendance is directly correlated with a student’s academic performance and achievement. When a significant percentage of students in a class is absent regularly, it makes it more challenging for the instructor and the rest of the students to develop their abilities and progress. The importance of regular attendance and promptness in completing schoolwork for youngsters cannot be overstated.
Students absent from school miss out on a significant amount of information and disrupt the flow of their educational experience. Students who miss school for no compelling reason lack the necessary drive to make up for the work they were supposed to do while absent (Gubbels et al., 2019). Children will be better prepared for future employment if they can practice punctuality at school. Not only will arriving on time at work demonstrate their dependability, but it will also help them earn a living for themselves and their families.
Steps Taken to Address the Problem
If students miss consecutive class sessions, it may be an early indicator that they are losing interest in their studies, which may harm their ability to complete the course or program of study. When teachers are given information about students whose attendance is declining, they can intervene or modify certain classroom components more effectively. Student advocates (such as academic advisors, success coaches, or even residential hall directors) can swiftly assess which students require additional outreach or interventions when they have a comprehensive perspective of a student throughout an institution’s various classes. If supplied early enough, this type of student support could determine whether a student stays or departs from an educational institution (Childs & Grooms, 2018). Once attendance data is collected and patterns of concern are identified, numerous student advocates can engage in various formative actions.
The uniform application of rewards and sanctions is one measure that needs to be taken to address the issue of student attendance. Reviewing the attendance of the form or tutor group each week to share data, identify problems, initiate early interventions, and assist in setting goals (Plasman & Gottfried, 2020), and conducting follow-up conversations with students about their absenteeism and tardiness to discover the obstacles and causes of their absences, and contacting parents and other caregivers regarding their children’s absences and punctuality.
Biblical Worldview
There is a positive correlation between increased religious knowledge and improved grades attained by students in educational settings. Students who are interested in religious activities tend to spend more time on their assignments, work harder in school, and, as a result, achieve higher academic success. Attendance at religious schools has been found to influence educational performance and levels of achievement (Vaughan, 2019). A substantial body of research and writing details the effectiveness of Catholic education in elevating its students’ intellectual achievement (Vaughan, 2019). Attending church services and events helps individuals develop a more positive self-concept regarding their academic performance, work habits, and discipline.
References
Al Shenawi, H., Yaghan, R., Almarabheh, A., & Al Shenawi, N. (2021). The relationship between attendance and academic performance of undergraduate medical students during surgical clerkship. BMC Medical Education, 21(1).
Childs, J., & Grooms, A. A. (2018). Improving school attendance through collaboration: A catalyst for community involvement and change. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), 23(1-2), 122–138.
Gubbels, J., van der Put, C. E., & Assink, M. (2019). Risk factors for school absenteeism and dropout: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(9), 1637–1667.
Plasman, J. S., & Gottfried, M. A. (2020). School absence in the United States: Understanding the role of stem-related vocational education and training in encouraging attendance. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 1–23.
Vaughan, C. A. (2019). Differences of mean scores on the preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) for Classical Christian Schools compared to non-classical Christian Schools. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 28(3), 286–308.