Fourth Graders from Achievement First Bushwick Elementary in Brooklyn, New York
I think some students miss a lot of school because of bullying, depression, they’re really sick, or have family problems. I think teachers can help these kids by talking to them or giving them stuff to calm them down. Or they can tell them the world is not perfect, but it’s not that bad if we have our class and [we] will help you out. “You should know we will be there for you.”
—Ami B.
Some students may not feel comfortable at school or maybe they don’t feel challenged at school to want to come. Another reason might be because of bullies, or they feel that the people at school don’t like them. Teachers could try to give more rewards or do more fun things like throw parties, give class competitions, or things like that to make it more fun so we do want to come.
—Anabelle R.
Eighth Graders from Davis Drive Middle School in Cary, North Carolina
Like a job, in school you should be able to take days off. We work 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, with homework after school and on weekends. Sometimes kids are just plain tired or mentally exhausted, like adults. I don’t think teachers and parents get that burnout is a real thing, especially in the days leading up to or after a big test. I think teachers need to be more understanding of what kids are going through and dealing with, and look beyond the fact that a kid has been missing a lot of school.
—Bridget K.
If we had less homework, we would be less stressed, we would get more sleep, and therefore, would be able to do better in school and come to school more and on time. I’m not saying to do away with homework altogether because we still need the practice, but teachers should work to assign less homework.
—Reese M.
Students miss a lot of school because they may not feel comfortable or safe in that environment. If a student doesn’t feel confident in their classroom or in their school, they will be more tempted to find excuses to stay home or skip classes. To help them, teachers can make their class more welcoming, invite students who usually sit alone to participate in fun activities, and be more open and accepting of students who are struggling in any way. School should be a safe place for everyone, a place where students can enjoy learning and interacting with others. Teachers are responsible for their students and providing them with a safe place.
—Veronika E.
Students miss school because they have nothing to look forward to throughout their day. Essentially, it’s the same old cycle. Eat, sleep, school.
Students may not have reliable and safe transportation to school daily because of bus rules. I believe that teachers could help by talking to the students who have bad attendance records and try to get to the bottom of what the problem is. This could help give data about what stops them from coming to school and could be sent to the administration so they can use special accommodations to help the students.
—Sohum V.
I feel like students miss school because the activities in school can sometimes get boring. Students usually enjoy learning that is more interactive and hands-on. Fun activities such as team-building games could make students socialize more and help students skip school less.
—Pavan V.
High School Students from Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego, California
I believe that some students miss a lot of school because they are disinterested in pursuing school in the future. I think that this leads to them being absent a lot because they find it impractical with the decision that they’ve made not to attend college or a university. Something that I think teachers can do to help this would be to educate students on the benefits of graduating with a high school diploma. I strongly believe that when students know the benefits of certain things, they have more interest and put more effort into these certain things because the students have it in their heads that they will eventually profit from it.
—Emily E.
Students miss school because they have nothing to look forward to throughout their day. Essentially, it’s the same old cycle. Eat, sleep, school. Teachers can approach this issue by adding variety in their teaching styles such as ice-breaker questions or daily check-ins. By giving students something to look forward to, attendance will improve.
—Aaron P.
I think most students who miss school just can’t make it, but for those who do it on purpose, I think school is uninteresting or unimportant to them. They don’t and can’t find a reason to go to school every day. Teachers can help students enjoy school more by taking the students’ opinions into account. Teachers could include more inclusive topics and find out what students like by having classroom votes.
—Danielle A.
Editor’s note: Thank you to educators Robin Brantley (Achievement First Bushwick Elementary), Julie Adcock (Davis Drive Middle School), and Mikayla Haywood (Health Sciences High and Middle College) for their assistance in gathering the student responses featured here.
