1. Introduction
To
complete this task, I have chosen the theme topic of discipline problems among
students. There are many issues that can be highlighted from this discipline
problem. One of these is the issue of truancy among students.
1.1 Article
1
Title : Truancy
Crackdown To Include Children Aged Four
Writer : Jeevan
Vasagar[1]
Source : http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/apr/16/truancy-crackdown-
include-children-aged-four
1.2 Article
2
Title : Truancy
A Problem Among Pupils
Writer : Mazwin
Nik Anis[2]
Source : http://thestar.com.my/newa/atory.asp?file=/2009/10/1/
nation/4814874&sec=nation
Both
of these articles highlight some of the major findings regarding the problem of
school discipline such as truancy. Educational attainment is an important
determinant of diverse health outcomes. Truancy among adolescents jeopardizes
chances of achieving their educational goals. Truant behaviours are also
associated with various psychosocial problems.
2. Main
Point
2.1 Article
1 - Truancy Crackdown To Include Children Aged Four
Children as young as four who miss nursery or
the reception year of school will be the focus of a new crackdown on truancy – even though education is not compulsory until the age of five. The figures
on attendance in reception will be published by the Department for Education so
that the schools can judge their performance on pupil
absence. According to the report largely accepted by ministers, the
government's expert adviser on behaviour, Charlie Taylor, also calls for
schools to offer support to parents who are failing to get their children into
nursery. He also argued that missing out on nursery means that you're missing
out on some of the early learning, some of the key social skills that develop
into children's character and ability to function in the classroom. The report
also recommends that academy chains, sponsors and individual academies and
maintained schools – should be able to prosecute parents for truancy. Term-time
holidays are disruptive not just for the pupils who are taken out of school,
but for others in the class who lose out as teachers spend time helping
returning pupils catch up. Term-time holidays should never be viewed by parents
as an entitlement. However, all primary school children should be in class – that
is non-negotiable. Docking unpaid fines from child benefit risks punishing the
pupils as well as the parents by penalising already deprived families. The most
effective way to improve children's attendance is to intervene early to deal
with any underlying problems within the family.
2.2 Article
2 - Truancy A Problem Among Pupils
Truancy tops the list of disciplinary
problems among primary school students followed by rude behaviour and the
consumption of alcoholic drinks. The Education Ministry is looking at ways to
tackle these problems as the numbers of errant students have increased.
According to Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, the consumption
of alcoholic drinks of some of the primary school pupils in Sabah and Sarawak
must be checked immediately. The ministry have records that about 0.79% of the
primary school pupils were involved in disciplinary problems between January
and June this year, compared with 0.78% during the same period last year. The increase
is almost negligible, but it needed to be checked as it involved young
individuals who are already know how to skip school, be rude to their teachers
and peers and drink alcohol. In additional, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong also said the
pupils are influenced by television programmes or movies and that why they
learn foul language and violent acts. Apart from truancy, students were also
found to have committed lewd acts and some were even involved in criminal
activities such as fighting and causing hurt and injuries to others. The
effective way is plans to appoint senior discipline teachers and to reduce the
student-counsellor ratio to 1:300 from the current 1:500 so that the
counsellors would not be over burdened.
3. Reflection
Students
are the future heir to the country. Their activities have been the hot topics
of discussions and were given warm attention from the whole society. Mass media
often broadcast many news and stories about the hoax of the students and
various social problems that surround them. According to Bettelheim (1950),
social problems and criminal acts involving students are coming to an alarming
state. At student stage, an individual experiences a very rapid change, either
physically, emotionally or socially.
Truancy
is a problem sweeping not only Malaysia, but the entire world. Problems such as
truancy are not only happen in town and urban school, but also take place in
the rural schools. Every day millions of students play truant. In recent years,
Malaysia has been experiencing a surge on social problems involving teenagers.
They are involved in house break-ins, carjacking, smoking, drugs, prostitution,
pre-martial sex, bully, playing truant from school etc. most alarming of them
all are school truancy.
Before
determining the most effective means of controlling unexcused absences, the
causes of truant behaviour must be understood. Although many teachers may be
empathetic and willing to help students, this difference in opinion may create
a barrier of understanding between teacher and student. In one survey, students
cited boredom and loss of interest in school, irrelevant courses, suspensions,
and bad relationships with teachers as the major factors in their decision to
skip school. On the other hand, most of the school staff believed truancy to be
related primarily to student problems with family and peers. There are many
reasons why a student chooses to play truant.
One of them is to escape bullying at
school. Schools now have become a breeding ground for bullies. These bullies
like to prey on students who are physically weak or mentally weak. They try to
usurp power or authority over them through physical, mental or emotional abuse.
The more common form of bully in Malaysian Schools is emotional and verbal
abuse. Bullying is a prime component in the making of an unsafe school
environment. If a chi does not feel safe at school, or on the way to or from
school, they are much more likely to become truant. Bullying occurs for many
reasons and it goes beyond the one isolated instance of harassment either
because of teachers’ inability to control, or problems arising from the child’s
own personality or learning abilities. A parent might say they’re keeping their
child off school because they’re being bullied.
One of the common causes of truancy
and disruptive behaviour in student is the influence of friends and peer. Many
times these peers are seen encouraging truancy as a status-seeking activity or
as a way of joining in or blending in. the child’s natural instinct to want to
be part of a larger crowd or group dynamic will take over, even if they are
taught better habits. Often times this same dynamic is prevalent in the face of
any resistance the child may put forth, prompting teasing or goading the child
into truanting.
For some reasons, boring classes and hard
lessons gives them an excuse to play truant. Some lessons like Mathematics,
Additional Mathematics, and Physics etc are hard for students who are weak to
grasp or understand. They lost interest in their studies and school. This gives
them a reason to play truant.
What is classed as truancy can
depend largely on the school's attitude to the 'truant' or their problems.
Relationships with teachers, seen as lacking respect or fairness, play a large
factor in truancy rates among student. Often times this inability to get along
with teachers and/or students will result in disciplinary problems which may
lead to suspension, or expulsion. Of course, being away from the school either
voluntarily or at the school's demand can have an adverse affect on the
student's academic performance, resulting in not being able to keep up with
school work, getting poor grades, or even failing. A school may also be remiss
in not notifying parents or guardians of absences. Student’s bad relationship
with their teachers. A teacher who is too strict or use harsh and insensitive
words towards their students causes students to hate them and harbour
bitterness in their hearts. Once they disliking a teacher, they also losing
interest in the subject taught by the particular teacher. As a form of
retaliation, students will skip class and play truant.
Therefore, truancy should be control
within the school. Ant truancy programs that expose truants to other peer group
and other methods of interaction may be effective in reducing truancy. After
school sports or other programs at the school site give students a chance to
make new friends, experience a positive atmosphere, and fee a sense of
accomplishment, which, in turn, may reduce their likelihood of skipping school.
According to Rohrman (1993), the learning environment is also important to
student performance. Teacher must arrive on time, give students frequent
praise, interact with the entire class, minimize verbal reprimands and other
forms of punishment, and deemphasize competition in the class.
In conclusion, bad influences, bullies,
boredom, and loss of interest in school, irrelevant courses, suspensions, and
bad relationships with teachers only provide a stressfully and tormenting
environment for students and become the major factors in their decision to skip
school. Drastic steps should be taken if we are to produce a new and useful
generation. Schools need to provide a conducive and safe environment for
students to study in order to curb truancy among students.
