CUTTING CLASSES

I. INTRODUCTION

Cutting classes is when you don't attend a class at which your presence is expected. It has more
relevance in elementary and high schools, when students are required to attend every class unless
they have a note from a parent or guardian. In college it's not really cutting because nobody cares
whether or not you attend. It's up to you to manage your time. Either you go or you don't, but if
you choose not to attend be prepared to accept a lower grade for the course as a consequence.

II. RATIONALE

Students that cut their classes are getting out of hand, most of the teachers are encountering
students that cut their classes every school year. In the chapter one of ‘Unveiling of the dark side
of Education’, Cutting classes is being rampant especially in public schools in the Philippines. In
this research, the researchers are going to know the reasons why do these students cut their
classes, so that we would be able to find ways to encourage them not to waste their opportunity
to study, and also to deliver this information to the teachers and parents to help them to solve or
prevent these students from cutting classes. We have chosen our participants – Senior High and
Junior High School students – because we know that they can help or contribute to the research
study we’re making. This study is very rational, because it is already disturbing for the teachers
and parents who give a lot of effort to help these students to achieve success and their dreams.
Cited in Tom Clay’s and Lori Breslow’s (2006) research, that the students that cut classes is
bothering these days because of its increasing issues.

III. BODY

The Impact of Skipping School

It is estimated that seven million students (K-12) miss 18 days or more each year, and the
concentration of that absenteeism is in middle and high schools. In some states, as many as 1 in 3
high school students are absent on any given day.

Research shows that student achievement suffers after only five absences. Students who miss
more than ten days of school are more than 20 percent less likely to graduate from high school
than their peers and are 25 percent less likely of ever enrolling in any type of college. Those who
drop out are two and a half times more likely to be on welfare than high school graduates. Those
who do attend college are less likely to be prepared, more likely to enroll in remedial class, and
more likely to leave college before earning a degree.
In a recent report from the Get Schooled Foundation, Skipping to Nowhere, more than 500 teens
in 25 cities were given in-depth interviews to get an accurate picture of truancy in America. The
report found that skipping school is behavior developed by the end of 9th grade. Of current
sophomores, juniors and seniors who skip, nearly three quarters of them started skipping in
middle school or during their first year of high school. Class cutting transcends socioeconomic,
racial, and geographic backgrounds.

The interviews revealed that most students face few or minor immediate consequences for
skipping school, and many do not think missing class impacts their grades, their chances of
graduating, or whether they’ll attend college. According to the report, more than 80 percent of
students who skip school once a week believe it is unlikely they will fall behind in class. Nearly
half of skippers are absent at least part of the day about once a week or more and 42 percent of
students said their parents “never” or “rarely” know when they skip school. Young people are
often unaware that skipping even a few days of school can dramatically affect their grades and
even decrease their odds of graduating.

IV. RECOMMENDATION

The Get Schooled Foundation’s report supports past research that shows a direct link between
family engagement and student achievement. Parents are the most important defense against
absenteeism. Following are some tips on how parents can prevent their child from cutting class:

Be involved with your teen’s school. Attend Parent’s Night and other school functions. Volunteer
within the school. Get to know your teen’s teachers. Be aware of your child’s grades and
attendance record. The more involved you are in your teen’s school the more likely your teen
will perceive education as important and the less likely they are to skip class.

Encourage open communication. Allow your teen to vent about a teacher, a certain class, etc.
without providing any judgment. Everyone needs to feel heard and understood. If you believe
your child is facing a challenge at school, talk to their teacher.

Explain the importance of attendance. Give your child a vision for their future and then explain
how skipping school impacts that vision. Tell them some of the statistics from this report and
explain that skipping school significantly changes their ability to have a bright future.

Live in the real world. Students surveyed expressed a desire for a connection between their ‘real
lives’ and what they learn in school. Too often there is a complete disconnect between their lives
outside of school, their dreams and hopes for the future and how they spend each day. Draw the
lines for them so they can see the usefulness of what they are learning.

Repeat the message. When the message to avoid skipping only comes from the school principal,
it’s not as effective. Having the message about the importance of attending school come from
several sources – parents, teachers, neighbors, the local truancy officer, police, celebrities,
athletes, etc. – can have a dramatically stronger effect on student decision-making.

Establish consequences for truancy. Tell your teen that skipping school is not acceptable in your
family and provide a consequence if you discover they have skipped. Parents should also inform
their teens of their local area’s laws for truancy.

V. CONCLUSION

According to the US Department of Education, skipping school is one of the first signs of trouble
in a young person’s life. When young people start skipping school, they are telling their parents
and teachers that they are in trouble or are giving up. Students are truant for different reasons.
Yes, some just would rather hang out with their friends than go to school, but others may skip a
day of school because they were concerned for their personal safety or did not want to take a test
for which they were unprepared. It’s important to find out the reason they are skipping and
address it directly. If they are bored, show them the correlation between what they learn and what
they want to do in the future. If they are avoiding a test, determine the reason and help them with
their studying or provide a tutor. If they are scared for their safety, work with the school to stop
bullying. Do not ignore their cry for help… skipping school or cutting class means there is a
problem to solve in your teen’s life.

VI. REFERENCE

https://www.quora.com/What-does-cutting-classes-mean

https://www.academia.edu/31315402/Reasons_for_Cutting_Classes_of_SHS_Students_in_Dasm
arinas_National_High_School_SY_2016_2017

https://middleearthnj.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/the-impact-of-skipping-school/