On June 11, 1986, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was released, and the lovable rogue feigned illness to take a joy ride in a Ferrari, catch the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and enjoy one meal as the sausage king of Chicago.
It’s tough to fault a teenager for wanting to skip school and experience the real world on a single beautiful day. But when one day becomes 15 or more, it becomes a big problem. Even Ferris only skipped school nine times.
In the average high school class of 24 students, more than five of them were chronically absent from last school year, missing 15 days or more, according to the latest Department of Education.
It’s a nationwide problem, not just at inner-city schools. About 37% of students in District of Columbia Public Schools are chronically absent, and so are 46% of students in rural Virginia’s Greene County Public Schools. Just more than half of Detroit City School District students are chronically absent, and so are 37% of Michigan students in the Upper Peninsula’s Ontonagon Area Schools.
Some school districts shamefully shove the problem under the rug. They push students along, grade after grade, without caring if they’re learning anything or even show up for class. Many hand students a diploma and send them on their way unprepared for adulthood.
D.C.’s school system has made progress in the past decade, particularly in terms of educational freedom for families. Parents can choose from traditional public schools (although the best ones are put out of reach by high real estate prices), public charter schools, and a lucky few have access to private schools through the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.
But in the 2016-17 school year, more than a third of graduates of D.C. Public Schools received a diploma even though they had too many absences. Students were getting credit for classes where they’d missed more than 30 days. At one high school, more than 10% of graduates had missed a majority of the academic year.
No silver bullet will solve the truancy problem, since there are many causes. In Washington’s case, it is just as much about students cutting class as it is about teachers and administrators letting them slide by.
Chronic absenteeism can be caused by bullying, depression, learning difficulties, or unsafe schools. School choice won’t fix all of those, but Washington’s voucher students do report feeling much safer than their public school peers. As Washington Examiner contributor Corey DeAngelis wrote in May: “The D.C. voucher program also increased students’ satisfaction with their schools by 18% and decreased chronic absenteeism by 27% after three years.” It can be no surprise that when a student is satisfied with school, and feels safe, he or she turns up for class.
Truancy is no reason to throw anyone in jail, as a certain prosecutor running for president suggested recently. It’s a serious problem that deserves attention from administrators, teachers, and parents. Ham-handed punishments or federal or state programs won’t be helpful.
