Skipping school: Children skip classes
Skipping is usually not a sign of laziness, but is usually due to deeper problems of the student. Find out here what causes can lead to regular truancy and what you can do if your child often misses class.
Skipping school is common
According to estimates by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 100,000 schoolchildren in Germany skip classes every day. However, the number of students who occasionally miss a lesson could be significantly higher. Skipping is particularly common among young people over the age of 12, and unexcused absences tend to be more frequent at Hauptschule than at other types of school.
Causes of truancy
The causes of truancy vary from case to case. Skipping is often a sign of deeper psychological problems and can rarely be explained simply by the student’s laziness. Often the will to learn is not missing at all, but rather the support from the environment. Other reasons for skipping school include the following:
- school anxiety
- overload
- Too much pressure to perform
- knowledge gaps
- mobbing
- experiences of violence at school
- Lack of emotional support
- problems in the family
- Learning disabilities or disorders, such as ADHD , dyscalculia or dyslexia
Skipping through peer pressure
Of course, social pressure can also be the reason for truancy. In some circles of friends, it is common to skip lessons and turn to more pleasant activities. If you want to belong and be recognized by the group, you also have to play hooky.
What can you do against truancy?
Skipping often begins insidiously. First, a student often skips a particularly unpopular subject. This increases the pressure to perform at school and the student is even less able to meet the requirements. So again he responds with tails to avoid problems. This is how a vicious circle develops, from which the student can no longer find his way out on his own.
In order to help your child, you should find a way together to break this vicious circle. It is best to approach the problem gently and thoughtfully. Even more pressure and punishments will most likely not bring anything. Better try to talk to your child in a quiet moment so that you can explore the reasons for truancy together.
You should also not be afraid to seek help from your child’s teachers or the school psychology service so that you can find a solution to the problem together. If a learning disability is the cause, a special support plan might help; if your child has problems with their classmates, a class change might be the right way. In any case, an individual solution must be found so that your child attends school regularly again.