Long-Term School Absenteeism – Issues and Implications

Research findings across developed and developing nations have linked LTA or CA to socioeconomic status (SES). It is observed that students from lower SES families are more vulnerable to this worrying trend. According to Tyrone Howard, an associate dean of inclusion and an education professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, “chronic absenteeism is typically one of the most ardent signs that something serious may be happening with a student and his or her family.” He noted that students who skip school may be caring for younger siblings, experiencing neglect or homelessness. In Singapore, a 2015 newspaper article reported educators, social workers and school counsellors flagging the high school absenteeism rate of children from low-income families as a concern².

Irregular attendance in school has proven to be an early warning sign of academic risk and premature school withdrawal. In a recent report by the U.S. Department of Education identifying “chronic absenteeism” as a hidden educational crisis, long-term consequences cited include a population that is less educated, less healthy, underemployed and less financially stable. A study that looked into the relationship between health and chronic absenteeism also revealed that the less education adults have, the more likely they are to smoke, be overweight, have diabetes and die prematurely of certain chronic conditions³.

LTA in Singapore Schools

LTA is anecdotally observed by educators and counsellors to exert severe negative impact on the psyche and development of children and youths. Poor attendance in school affects mastery of core subjects and relevant competencies needed later on in life. Long periods of absence from school can result in juvenile delinquency and premature withdrawal from school as students fall further and further behind in their studies. For students from low-income families exhibiting behaviours of LTA, education ceases to be an effective social leveler. This in turn will likely bring about a further widening of the social divide in Singapore.

At the pre-primary level, while 99% of children in Singapore are enrolled in schools by the age of six each year, reality on the ground paints a different picture. Preschool educators and social workers say it is a challenge getting the children of lower-income families to attend school regularly despite the readily available financial support. Based on personal interviews with some early childhood educators, many children who stay away from school are from the Malay community⁴. Some of the reasons cited for this are the lack of exposure as well as a weak grasp of the English language, the school’s main language of instruction, at home. This causes children to be handicapped in their learning and their self-confidence affected when they find themselves lagging behind their peers. The problem is aggravated if their families face issues such as domestic violence or incarceration of a parent⁵.

LTA at the preschool level is alarming for its snowballing tendency. Children who are chronically absent at kindergarten and Primary 1 levels are much less likely to be reading and more likely to become academically weak at Primary 2 or Primary 3. With an inadequate foundation, learning gets compromised at the upper primary levels and these students are four times more likely to dropout of school post-primary education.

Reasons for Chronic Absenteeism

Oftentimes, student absenteeism is an indicator of challenges occurring within the family, school, community or even the student himself or herself. Researchers categorise the underlying causes into student-specific factors, family-specific factors, school-specific factors, and community-specific factors as illustrated in Tables 1 to 4. The causal factors are typically dependent on the student’s age and social context. Kindergarten absenteeism is most strongly related to family factors, for example, children whose parents suffer from substance abuse, or whose work schedules make it difficult for them to get their children to school each morning. For teenagers, absenteeism is usually associated with student or school factors such as fear of being bullied or disengagement with school.

A Case for National Study on LTA

Recognising the detrimental effect of LTA, efforts have been made at both grassroots and governmental fronts to address the issue. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), preschools and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) work with the community to take on the problem. Care Corner is one community resource while Beyond Social Service’s Healthy Start Child Development Centre is another. The centre ropes in neighbours to help bring children who often miss classes to and from the centre, reducing the frequency of absenteeism. In schools, social work-trained Student Welfare Officers investigate and assist with the LTA situation. They work with families in a bid to reduce chronic absenteeism of students from these households. Despite the measures, it is uncertain if the number of LTA cases is lessening or if the programmes are effective. It is therefore imperative that the authorities launch a national study to probe into the numbers, causes and repercussions of chronic absenteeism so that targeted strategies and policies can be formulated to address attendance issues. If the issue of LTA is not addressed effectively and promptly, it may lead to longer term devastating effects on individuals and the community.

Conclusion

LTA or CA is not a trivial issue. It has long-term impact on one’s success in life and development of an inclusive society. Education can only fulfil its promise as the great social equaliser – a force overcoming differences in privilege and background – when we work to ensure that students are in school every day and receive the support they need to learn and thrive.

As early childhood expert Khoo Kim Choo aptly put, “Investing on services in the early years...will save a lot of economic and social costs subsequently when the child fails to catch up in the later years (and) drop out of school”. Khoo also said that “early guidance and support would give the child a better chance of (fulfilling) his or her potential.” Be it methodologically collecting and analysing data to derive policies and strategies, increasing parents’ awareness of the importance of education especially in the early years or reviving the spirit of ‘gotong-royong’ between community partners, social service professionals, educators, volunteers and families in need to improve the future of their children, everyone has a part to play in ensuring no one child is left behind in the pursuit of knowledge and a better life.