(Hands Raised)
This week I read an article about challenges that public education goes through throughout the year. This is an important topic that focuses on real struggles that teenagers and teachers face in everyday life. A few key points that were in the article focus on items such as keeping schools safe, feeling pressured (stress, anxiety and depression), better discipline, absenteeism and more.
One point that caught my attention was “According to the U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), about 8 million students missed more than three weeks of school during the 2015 – 2016 school year, up from 6.8 million the previous year” (Álvarez).
This was very concerning because missing more than 3 weeks of school is problematic. By the time you get back into school you are missing so much work and projects that you are probably supposed to be doing. Especially within classes where you are moving at a fast pace, you could be on to the next unit by the time you get back and you have missed so much that you are already far behind.
It made me wonder when does the “skipping” or being absent really start? Is it just the stereotypical high schooler playing ditch day? Or does it start with kindergarteners or even pre-k? Well according to healthychildren.org “this problem starts early. At least 10% of kindergarten and first-grade students miss a month or more of the school year. Chronic absenteeism becomes more common in middle school, and about 19% of all high school students are chronically absent.”
While browsing on the healthychildren.org website, I have found more information about why kids are chronically absent. Some examples would be that “Mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression, are common reasons for absences.”Another fact from healthychildren.org states that “Up to 5% of children have school-related anxiety and may create reasons why they should not go or outright refuse to attend school.”
This information supported the text from the original article talking about stress, pressure and how it affects mental health.
This new article that I read made my viewpoint about kids being absent more strong and how it affects kids health and their well being. Kids are constantly growing from pre-k to grade 12 and the fact that they are starting to deal with such serious mental health issues at such a young age is a very, very concerning issue that needs to be fixed.
Have you ever felt so stressed where it came to a point and you just wanted to give up? Comment below.
"Classroom." 4 Feb. 2017. Pixabay, 24 Feb. 2017, pixabay.com/photos/classroom-school-
One point that caught my attention was “According to the U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), about 8 million students missed more than three weeks of school during the 2015 – 2016 school year, up from 6.8 million the previous year” (Álvarez).
This was very concerning because missing more than 3 weeks of school is problematic. By the time you get back into school you are missing so much work and projects that you are probably supposed to be doing. Especially within classes where you are moving at a fast pace, you could be on to the next unit by the time you get back and you have missed so much that you are already far behind.
It made me wonder when does the “skipping” or being absent really start? Is it just the stereotypical high schooler playing ditch day? Or does it start with kindergarteners or even pre-k? Well according to healthychildren.org “this problem starts early. At least 10% of kindergarten and first-grade students miss a month or more of the school year. Chronic absenteeism becomes more common in middle school, and about 19% of all high school students are chronically absent.”
While browsing on the healthychildren.org website, I have found more information about why kids are chronically absent. Some examples would be that “Mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression, are common reasons for absences.”Another fact from healthychildren.org states that “Up to 5% of children have school-related anxiety and may create reasons why they should not go or outright refuse to attend school.”
This information supported the text from the original article talking about stress, pressure and how it affects mental health.
This new article that I read made my viewpoint about kids being absent more strong and how it affects kids health and their well being. Kids are constantly growing from pre-k to grade 12 and the fact that they are starting to deal with such serious mental health issues at such a young age is a very, very concerning issue that needs to be fixed.
Have you ever felt so stressed where it came to a point and you just wanted to give up? Comment below.
(Classroom)
Works Cited
Álvarez, Brenda, et al. "10 Challenges Facing Public Education Today." National Education
Association, 3 Aug. 2018, www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/10-challenges-facing-public-education-today. Accessed 4 Dec. 2020.
"Classroom." 4 Feb. 2017. Pixabay, 24 Feb. 2017, pixabay.com/photos/classroom-school-
education-learning-2093744/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2020.
"School Attendance, Truancy & Chronic Absenteeism: What Parents Need to Know."
"Hands Raised." 27 Oct. 2016. Pixabay, pixabay.com/illustrations/hands-raised-raised-hands-
arms-up- 1768845/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2020.
"School Attendance, Truancy & Chronic Absenteeism: What Parents Need to Know."
healthychildren.org, August 20 2019, https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-
stages/gradeschool/school/Pages/School-Attendance-Truancy-Chronic-Absenteeism.aspx.
Accessed 4 December 2020.
Wow! Those statistics are very worrisome. Chronic absenteeism is definitely an issue that needs to be solved. Do you have any suggestions for parents as to how they can keep their kids absentee time to a minimum?
ReplyDeleteI would personally seek a therapist if having many serious mental health issues. Or even just having talks about it at the dinner table. It shouldn't be something to be ashamed of, or to run away from. I'd say to the parents, tell your children that it's ok not to be ok. Because sometimes that's what kids need to hear. Reassurance.
DeleteThere are legal parameters for attendance too. Are schools using truancy officers to help with this problem, do you know? I wonder if this is more or less of an issue now with so many schools remote.
ReplyDeleteInteresting information. I wonder if these statistics will help increase the in-school availability of mental health or self care opportunities in the school?
ReplyDelete