Education Ministry explores solutions to combat rising student absenteeism

• The Ministry of Education is addressing the issue of mass student absenteeism before and after holidays, which affects academic performance.

• Efforts include stricter regulations, penalties for absences, and better communication through the “Sahl” monitoring program for parents.

• Authorities are conducting a study to find effective solutions and improve school environments to reduce absenteeism.

The Ministry of Education is studying ways to reduce the widespread issue of student absenteeism before and after official holidays, a phenomenon that has been growing in recent years and negatively impacts students’ academic performance and leads to financial and educational inefficiencies.

Educational sources have revealed to Al-Jarida that authorities are actively working on finding solutions to reduce the impact of student absenteeism, as it affects academic performance and contributes to financial and educational waste within the system.

The sources mentioned that the Ministry plans to conduct a comprehensive study of the absenteeism phenomenon and review existing regulations and systems in schools to identify the most effective methods for addressing the issue.

The current regulations specify that a student will be expelled after accumulating 16 days of unexcused absences or 26 days with an excuse. The system includes a first warning after 5 days of absence, a second warning after 10 days, and a third warning after 15 days, at which point the guardian must sign the notification. Additionally, expelled students must repeat the academic year unless they do not exceed the allowed number of years.

The penalties for absenteeism involve grade deductions, starting at 0.5% for all subjects if a student receives the first warning, rising to 1% after the second warning, and increasing to 2% after the third warning. While these penalties aim to reduce absenteeism, it was noted that a lack of awareness and a sense of responsibility contribute to the persistence of the issue.

The sources emphasized that addressing student absenteeism will be significantly helped by improving the academic calendar, defining clear start and end dates for the school year, updating outdated educational documents, reassessing the weekly class periods for each subject, and creating a more engaging learning environment in schools.

“Easy”

The sources highlighted that school administrations had previously faced challenges in monitoring student absences through parents. However, with the introduction of the government’s “Sahel” absence monitoring program, the process has become more efficient. The program allows parents to track student absences and warnings, and enables schools to contact parents directly, improving communication and cooperation. The sources also noted that some school administrations may be lenient in enforcing regulations, which undermines their effectiveness and leads to disregard for the rules.

Furthermore, the sources highlighted that the Ministry’s strong commitment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, to enforcing fraud penalties has played a crucial role in addressing the issue. The sources also emphasized that strict implementation of absence regulations could further help in eradicating the phenomenon in the future.

Reasons for the spread of the absenteeism phenomenon

Educational circles have attributed the widespread phenomenon of mass student absenteeism to several parties such as:

 1. Ministry of Education

• Poor organization of the academic calendar and the start and end dates of the year.
• Educational documents that are old and have not been changed.
• Lack of accountability for some administrations that are lax in implementation.

 2. School Administrations

• Some administrations and teachers may indirectly encourage absence.
• Some teachers punish the students present by not explaining the lessons.
• Laxity in implementing regulations, failure to count absences, and failure to inform parents
• Lack of awareness and loss of motivation to provide an attractive and supportive environment.

 3. Family

• Lenient and tolerant guardian who listens to the student’s words.
• Guardian’s interest in grades without regard to actual academic achievement.
• Prior agreements on absence in groups.

4. The student

• Lack of desire for education and increased achievement.
• Absence of good role models in society, while the availability of bad ones on social media.
• Student’s reliance on other sources of learning other than school.