CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Truancy is as old as the school itself. It seems now a phenomenon that has come to stage in our school in our school and institution of higher learning’s such as, college of education, polytechnics and universities.
However, truancy is more rampant in our secondary schools where the students are in their translational stage of adolescence, when children do outstanding things. They want to be noticed and to have freedom.
It is an important part of government social inclusion policy (whitney 2008)
Truancy means deliberate absence from compulsory school attendance without adequate cause or present in the school without really participating in class and school activities. Several definitions have been put forward to explain the term “truancy” this is refers as absence from school. However any absence from school excused as well as missed classes and tardy arrival can affect students negatively. Murphy (2004) looks at it as staying out of school without good reasons.
Herbert (2005) said that truancy is childhood problems. According to him, the truancy is a child who absents himself from school without a legitimate cause and without the permission of his parent or school authorities. Ezenwu (1999) defined truancy as including returning days, weeks after school resumed, leaving school without authorization and dodging lessons period.
Truancy learning experience in the school gives the society false impression that the administration is weak. The cause of most truant behaviours cannot be so neatly categorized. In Nigeria society, truancy may be conceived as factors which militate against the good work of teachers, since teachers effectiveness is mostly evaluated in terms of students’ educational achievement during examination. It is not surprising therefore that truancy is regarded as a serious offence in schools. Herbert (2005) said that truancy is a childhood problem, for the educational progress in school it is important that students participate fully in all school activities. The problem of truancy is a problem of regularity and maximum participation in school work.
School rules entail doing the right thing at the right time. Students who work indulged in truancy, many a times move themselves to all work and crannies for the general public to see them and recognize them as students of “x and y” institutions.
Experience have prove that the amount of security no matter how tight will prevent a truant from leaving the school at odd hour since they have alternative routes of escape apart from the official school gates. Some of these students stay away from school compound for hours only to come back once the school is over.