Skipping school has become quite the habit for some of our school’s students, but how much of a problem is it, really?
Cătălina Cîrnațu, 9D
Image from The Loquitur
Absenteeism has become increasingly apparent in our school in the last few years, and the severity of it has yet to diminish. Most students skip a class or two to avoid a demerit when they didn’t study, and this is rather apprehensible, as an absence won’t affect your overall grade in any way. A bad mark, however...
The “skip to avoid” mentality isn’t inherently bad, unless it becomes a nature of habit, and students end up with no marks by the end of the school semester. Students aren’t robots, and sometimes they have a lot on their plates, hence they can’t everlastingly study for every subject. Essentially, they only missed a lesson or two, nothing that can’t be recovered or compensated for. While we should be able to take responsibility and face the consequences for our actions, most of the time, the repercussions don’t stop just at a low mark. Unless parents demur this demeanour, arguments concerning grades can happen and this can furthermore affect the student. No one desires that, so the practical solution is to skip, since “cramming” during the break won’t acquire much.
On the other hand, there are the students who skip repeatedly, almost on a daily basis and with no plausible reason. Aside from it having severe consequences, like having the police bring you back to school, or worse, being expelled, it is really damaging to a student’s mind and apprehensive rhythm. They grow unaccustomed to being in a school mindset and being open to learning; thus, when they do have to go back to staying in school normally, it is much more demanding and hugely frustrating.
Moreover, it is rather insulting to the teachers when students consider a morning coffee more important than their subject. While not all subjects seem utterly essential, all of them have a certain importance and could be of help in the unforeseeable future, and it comes off as an effort in vain from the teachers if some students always play truant. Teachers put in effort and have to be quite strong to be in front of students every day, hence we should pay them enough respect to attend their class.
So, is skipping class an issue? Well, keeping in mind that it is against the rules, and can impact students negatively if it becomes a pattern, it appears to be a detrimental issue. Cutting class every once in a while might not seem problematic, since it won’t make you fall behind and won’t damage your overall grade. Nevertheless, it is a behaviour that should not be condoned, as it can oftentimes become a vicious cycle.