1.0 Introduction
1.1 What is Truancy?
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions. The term's exact meaning differs from school to school, and is usually explicitly defined in the school's handbook of policies and procedures. It may also refer to students who attend school but do not go to classes.
According to the Oxford Dictionary in 1965, truancy is one who absents himself from place of work, expecially the child who stay away without leave from school.
While according to Norman Ismail (reported by the Yaakub, in 1977), truancy is one who absents or staying away from school without justiable reason and without the knowledge of parent of teachers.
According to Encarta Dictionaries 2009, truant is somebody absent from school or somebody who is absent without permission or good reason, especially from school
1.2 Truancy Problem Most Serious Discipline
Truancy is an act of misconduct and violation of school rules. A student is considered absent, if absent from school without reason that allowed the school day. Late this problem is found more rampant and has reached a fairly serious. The media also regularly publish news about this problem until this time the teachers and parents feel a strong action should be done immediately prior to the negative symptoms are more chronic stage again. According to a report that was issued by the Ministry of Education, the percentage of students who are found to be involved with symptoms of increased absenteeism from time to time, especially for schools in urban areas. The real causes of this problem must be identified quickly so that steps can be carried out in order to overcome future generations of our students in the future.
Skipping school is not just a problem of discipline among students, but the larger question, including where and what do they do during the time the misconduct and the consequences. Of the eight types of disciplinary actions listed the Ministry of Education, truancy is ranked second highest after the irreverent, followed by a criminal nature, not concern about time, personal neatness, delinquency, vandalism and offensive obscenity.
Based on year 2007, due to student absenteeism is not only lagging behind in education, even worse, are involved in negative symptoms, such as drug abuse, vandalism, gangsterisme, liquor, sex, gambling and loitering.
Implications that may occur due to a problem that causes it to be absent from the Ministry of Education as one of the most serious discipline problems.
Records of the Ministry of Education in 2007 showed that 21.060 students (12:39 per cent) found skipping school, while the 24.840 students (0.46 percent) in 2006.
In addition to absenteeism, student misconduct, such as smoking irreverent, disrespectful of teachers and supervisors, and speaking the most vulgar is the offense occurred in the school cases involving 23.220 (12:43 per cent) in 2007 and 19.980 cases (0.37 percent) in 2006.
Nature of criminal offenses such as theft, injury to the student, also at the fight and many cases recorded in the school of 18.900 (12:35 percent) in 2007 and 18.360 (12:34 percent) in 2006.
The issue of late to school or not concern about time is quite significant with 18.360 records of students (12:34 percent) engaged in 2007 and 15.120 students (0.28 percent) in the previous year.
Problems such as delinquency students bring mobile phones to school decreased significantly from the case, from 15.120 in 2006 to 8.640 cases in 2007.
Vandalism offenses such as damage to facilities or vandalize the school building is less than 3.780 cases in 2006 to 3.240 cases in 2007.
Cases of misconduct to disciplinary character of obscenity, including sign language, drawing and using improper words to record the same amount in 2006 and 2007, the 2.700 case.
Statistics of the Ministry of misconduct discipline in the period 2003 to 2007 recorded an average rate of two per cent, while criminal cases are reviewed by the police records at an average rate of 0:03 per cent.
Although the number of cases of student discipline this country is far lower than other countries, the Ministry of Education will consider it an issue to be addressed seriously.
| Student Discipline Problems | YEAR | |
| | 2006 | 2007 |
| Skipping school | 24840 | 21060 |
| Irreverent | 19980 | 23220 |
| Crime | 18360 | 18900 |
| Not concern about time | 15120 | 18360 |
| Carry your phone to school | 15120 | 8640 |
| Vandalism offenses | 3780 | 3240 |
| Misconduct disciplinary nature obscenity | 2700 | 2700 |
Table 1 Statistics of Student Discipline Problems In Year 2006 & 2007 By Education Ministry Of Malaysia.
Secondary schools are institutions for acquiring knowledge for students between the ages of 13 to 17 years. School institutions is also important to nurture the values required in future generations. However, schools often associated with student discipline problems. Among them is a truancy problem. Absenteeism is a term used to refer to any failure to attend classes in the school intentionally without reasonable excuse. Truancy problems among secondary school students is a serious problem.
2.0 Troubleshooting
Symptoms of this increasingly prevalent from day to day. This problem was shackling the school after a long time. Every day there are only cases of truancy reported. This problem actually occurred during the year just increased the number after each test before the holidays start. Truancy is a behavior that violates school rules and if students left truancy and absenteeism from classes until the practices and habits, it can bring negative effects on students own self, family and school.
Secondary school students are often involved in the truancy problem. So to curb this problem multi-factor factor must be identified. Measures to address attendance among high school students also need to find
3.0 Objectives Of Research
1. The objective of this study is to review the issue of truancy among secondary school students.
2. This study aims to find the main factors in the occurrence of truancy among secondary school students.
3. In addition to the other objectives of the study is to find a solution to the problem of students skipping school by school.
4.0 The issue of truancy among secondary school students
4.1 5807 students examined in the ‘Ops Sayang’
DURING the year 2002 to 2004 of 5.807 students skipping school inspection operations (Ops Sayang) police conducted throughout the country. A total of 4.097 persons (71 percent) boys and 1.710 girls involved in the examination during the operation. But from the statistics, in Penang, the number of women examined during the operation were more than girls. According to Chief Assistant Director of Administration D1 Criminal Investigation Department of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) ACP Aishah Mohammad, of the 153 students examined in the state, 78 are females while 75 are boys. Silver is the most extensive land operation launched during the period. 299 of Ops Sayang followed launched in Johor (92), Pahang (83), Sabah (80), Negeri Sembilan (31), Kuala Lumpur (30), Kedah (22), Perlis (7), and their five operations in Kelantan and Penang. Although Perlis only launched seven operations, but the number of students examined in the current operation is more than students in Johor which launched operations in 1992. A total of 931 of students examined in Perlis, compared to 382 student in Johor. According to Aishah although the number of students who are not involved but the matter must be contained because the symptoms may contribute to truancy among students of criminal activity.
4.2 Punishments imposed for truancy (Other countries)
In the United Kingdom, failure to secure regular school attendance of a registered pupil is a criminal offence for parents. Also, a police officer of or above the rank of superintendent may direct that for a specified time in a specified area a police officer may remove a child believed to be absent from a school without authority to that school or to another designated place. This is commonly known as a "truancy sweep".
In many Canadian provinces, a police officer who suspects a child of the correct age to be deliberately missing school for no legitimate reason has the authority to take that child to the school he or she is supposed to attend.
In the United States, the fine for truancy can range from $250 to as much as $5000. In some cities teenagers found on the streets during school hours are sometimes even handcuffed. About 12,000 students were ticketed for truancy in 2008 in Los Angeles. Many states provide for the appointment of local truancy officers who have the authority to arrest habitually truant youths and bring them to their parents or to the school they are supposed to attend. Many states also have the power to revoke a students driver's license. It is an office which, where it exists, is often held by a person also a constable or sheriff. However, the position of a full-time truancy officer is generally viewed as being a relic from the 19th century when mandatory school attendance was relatively new. Truancy regulations today are generally enforced by school officials under the context of parental responsibility. New automated calling systems allow the automated notification of parents when a child is not marked present in the computer.
In Australia, schools, in most cases, contact and keep a close relationship with local police to combat 'wagging'. Most schools, who have a nearby police station, have police vehicles monitoring the areas around the school grounds who look for truant students. In most cases the students are returned to the schools. The Australian Government threatened to take action on parents who have truanting students by withdrawing child support payments to any parent whose child is caught multiple times. Recently, schools have started a system whereby if students are not marked as present, the school computers will automatically SMS the parent(s) of the child to notify of their absence. Also, the use of marking present lists at schools has been taken over by that of computers. This way of checking if a student is absent, is a more accurate way to identify if the student is wagging and in what class.
In Germany, the parents of a child absent from school without a legitimate excuse are notified by the school. If the parents refuse to send their child to school or are unable to control their child, local child services or social services officers may request the police to escort the child to school, and in extreme cases can petition a court to partially or completely remove child custody from the parents. Parents may also be fined in cases of refusal.
In Denmark, some welfare benefits can be confiscated for a period if the child does not attend school. However, not all cities use this approach to keep the children in school. Most cities watch for families who have not returned their children to school after the summer vacation because some groups exiled their children to their ethnic home countries for behavior modification. In the city of Aarhus, 155 children had not turned up one week after the school started. April 2009 a research among 4,000 students showed that more than every third student had been absent during the last 14 days.
In Finland a truant pupil gets usually detention in comprehensive school. The police isn't involved in truancy controlling but the teachers of the school monitor the school area and sometimes the nearby areas during recess to avoid unauthorized leaving from the school area. If the pupil is absent for a long period of time the parents can be fined. Anyway, fining is the only way to force parents to put their children into school. The child will not be escorted to school or taken from parents.
4.3 Implications of the symptoms of truancy among students in secondary schools.
The effect of the symptoms of absenteeism among secondary school students is causing increasing social ills in a more severe among the students. While truancy, video game centers, cyber cafes, parks and shopping center will be the focus of this student. Engrossed with the game for the video game, unsure-negative and violent elements from video games can impact the behavior of students. Action game than a guide these students. So no wonder students now have teachers who are willing to kick and punch teacher. Similarly, the game in the cyber cafe. In public parks, students who prefer loitering and waste time so only. We have reached a day loitering in public park. Worse there are also students who commit vandalism and smoking in public parks. Between students who have truancy and wasting time in the shopping center. Students who have more severe getting in love. This act is so shameful image of students. While holding hands with the half wore unifom school, they have no shame. Symptoms of the critical social consequences once absenteeism problem is drugs and smell the gum. They do not attend school, contrary to the hidden places to carry out their activities.
In addition, problems also result in absenteeism of students left behind in education. Students who himself will certainly behind what teachers taught in the classroom. Often students who will himself be 'addicted' to absenteeism. But students who have to absenteeism weeks. The effect is studied by the other partners are not learned by them. This problem will also result in absenteeism from school students who get a severe test results. This is because, their academic performance become worst. Also become the main problem is there from among those who failed to pursue their studies after the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). This is very grave all parties. This will indirectly delay the government's plan to produce more "human capital" first class. Indeed, youth is now a legacy of future leadership of this country. But concern is if business leaders to produce a credible digugat by such problems.
Among other effects due to symptoms of absenteeism is able to claim relationship with the teachers and students also can damage family relationships. Student truancy is usually free from teachers who feel they do not like. Students who are often less absenteeism will also hear the advice of parents and family members. If left persists then contact family members will be distant. Absenteeism also cause decreased levels of discipline a student.
4.4 What do students do when skipping from school ?
Today, secondary school students more get in to truancy problems. This problem is most worrying of all parties. Please note that students will inherit this country. If the school since they already truancy, but what about 10-20 years ahead of them. What will be the birth of workers who regularly truancy at work? Next what will happen to the productivity of workers in the country if we reveal this?
But such things should we confine with the utmost in order to produce students who are disciplined, high attitude and highly knowledgeable. Truancy incumbent school students who already have the location of the incident during truancy. Necessarily have to be where they go when truancy is a shopping center. Here they are free loafing. Dressed in their half school unifom would not like the shopping center. It's only non-benefits talk and some to the detriment of public order. Instead of a deep love of video games, video game centers will be the focus.
In addition to the cyber café is also a focus on the truancy students. Where they will play computer games or surfing the internet. Money given by the parents will spend on cyber café. Implications of computer games will cause students to action games make them violent and neglect in education and life. For those who surf the internet, the bad effects will ‘get-in’; students will access pornographic websites and immoral.
Students who are truant are often a waste of time in parks or reacreation places public clouds. Occasionally students are skipping school attendance affect the public peace in parks. They are just empty chat and make noise.Sometimes vandalism occurred. These students prefer to vandalize public facilities such as rest huts. Inappropriate words and names carved in high specific or table.
Students who are frequently truant also sometimes have a place or 'headquarters skipping' own. For example, in homes that are uninhabited. More alarming, these students often engaged in drug abuse sniff out gum.
Skipping school activities are often done in groups. But sometimes it happens in isolation on certain factors that will be discussed later. Therefore, should be curbed because of problems Truancy is bad effect on students themselves.
5.0 Factors Which Influences Secondary School Students In Truancy Problems.
5.1 The influence of friends
"Friends become close with the youth. Good friends, they can lead to a good friend but if mistaken, will be bad affect. Students are too easily influenced by friends. For example, if they felt their colleagues more closely and better understand, they will easily follow what friends do. They forget that the "friend of a friend sometimes even food." In this situation many students were trapped in skipping school activities.
One identified cause of this incident is the influence of peers. Usually they have to plan ahead. They had conspired so that they can go to certain places. For example, they left school or are absent from school for loitering in certain places as empty talk, watch movies, video or VCD. So, they are absent from school due to spend time with their peers.
The influence of friends can give a great impact to students. Secondary school students are young adults and requires very friend. All the good and bad friends followed. These problems cause absenteeism. Rarely do we hear cases of truancy are alone. Instead absenteeism activities conducted in groups. So here clear that partners can attract students to a truancy. Absenteeism from this group of students who will spend time together. Youth is also easy to those who followed what they saw. Also led to attitudes to try and influence our simple call is received. Call from their peers for truancy will influence the minds of students who are not thinking rationally. They will only be by invitation and all call their friends without thinking long. This phenomenon occurs because the partners intend to truancy will provide a variety of reasons which are considered reasonable for them. Education in school activities and said bore truancy to recharge a reason not to attend school. This clearly shows the influence of friends became a factor in the occurrence of truancy among students.
5.2 Stress in students
The collapse of the family institution into one of the occurrence of symptoms factor Stress. This causes problems when students experience stress at home and likely will be carried away to school. So for students who face such problems will lose their spirit to attend to school. Obviously, they will turn elsewhere for releasing all the pressure in the face. But with truancy and to other places, their independent release anger, dormant and others. No noisy atmosphere in the school felt. There are also some students who are releasing the pressure with absenteeism due to family problems to cyber cafe. With this spirit they will be quiet before the game or when surfing the Internet. The collapse of the family institution is often caused due to narrowness of life faced by a family. Each member of this family run respectively. This led to emergence and selfish attitude of many conflicts will arise. Effects on children who are still learning, especially the youth. Therefore, to avoid it from happening, a family that must be mutual respect and selfless. It is important to prevent children plunged into the problem of truancy. The collapse the family institution also occurred in conflicts between parents cause their children are not forgotten. All actions of their children outside the home and at school are not taken serious. Barrenness love and explosion pressure on the person students come from families with problems they are trying to cause truancy. This shows the collapse of family institutions affect discipline problems among students, particularly truancy problems.
In addition, the pressure at the root of the problem of school truancy. Students absent from school because they feel depressed and do not want to learn. Because they are weak or moderate performance, many things are taught by teachers can not understand. This causes them to feel depressed because of embarrassment to the teacher or a friend. Eventually, they lose interest in learning. They think that the teacher scolded or wasting time in school, it is better they leave school and seek entertainment outside of school.
5.3 Lack of religious instruction and attention from parents
Religion education in the early stages of youth is very important education received one from her parents. It is because at this stage with regard to the transitional stage of life from a child to a teenager.
Symptoms following factors why truancy is still widespread are lack of religious upbringing and non-formal education from parents. Religious upbringing and discipline essential to develop good behavior. Act of truancy is also something that is wrong in religion. Lack of education on this matter led to students not afraid to make mistakes truancy. Regardless of any consequences of their truancy. Tutoring from parents who also result in less children to dare to truancy. Parents give less advice to learn as much as possible and not waste time cause their children to frequent absenteeism. While at home, children are not educated by their parents with the proper attitude of responsibility and not teach into their lives. This does not directly affect the formation of their personal practices and truancy is not an act practiced by those responsible. Education problems parents who are not effective sometimes can cause them not able to do the rational about the offense that they do terrible things and good things done by them. This proves that education of parents about proper indirectly affect the emergence of the symptoms of truancy.
Much emphasis on religious education and good moral values high morals. Highly acclaimed study of religion. Thus, the actions of students to stay away from studying was an act of religion that seem bad. Any student who is not religious education were skipping school that is a normal act and not against the ethics of life. As a result the problem of school absenteeism among secondary school students becoming rampant.
The lack of non-formal education by the parents also tend to cause students skipping school. Values of less cultivated by parents of students. Sometimes parents are not so concerned about the situation of their children during the school day or after returning from school.
In addition, note the lack of parents is also a factor to the problem of students skipping school by school. Parents only give full responsibility to educate children to teachers alone. While in school 100% of parents believe their children. Why did parents should monitor children to school. Busy with career attitudes by parents influenced their children. Children are free to do whatever is popular because parents are busy living.
6.0 The Ways To Prevent The Truancy Problems Among Secondary School Student.
6.1 Punishment & Counseling
The most strict measures be implemented to overcome these problems is disciplined by the school. Students who need to be captured truancy actions coincide with the behavior. Laws and school rules must be tightened. Heavier punishments such as suspended and expelled from school the school should be established for students who are frequency student absent from school without reasonable excuse. Detection system truancy practices that should be implemented more effectively so that students who frequent truancy can be detected more quickly and more effectively. Counseling services must be given to those who frequent absenteeism from school to ensure that the issues they face and help step can be implemented.
6.2 Attention from parents
Students who have been involved in the symptoms or who had not himself involved should be given attention by parents. Responsibility should not be released to 100 percent of teachers. Parents need to know about travel to take children to school. Monitoring also can sometimes be done to prevent something negative happens. At home, parents can give advice, and admonition to the children. This is an opportunity that must be used by parents to ask children progress in school. Parents also need to spend more time with their children and to give adequate attention to the behavior of their children in school. Freedom socialize with friends outside the school also should be controlled to avoid the children affected by practices like truancy. Non formal education should be at an early. Children should be educated to be more responsible in and capable of rational thought.
6.3 The role of society
The role of society is also important to prevent symptoms of absenteeism among secondary school students. The community is always in the social environment. Society also need to collaborate in efforts to tackle this problem by reporting cases of absenteeism from schools outside the school if not detected. The government can also organize lectures and campaigns related to the dangers events at each school truancy. This can to some extent in helping creating self-awareness in students about the dangers behind the symptoms of truancy.
6.4 Increasing the value of religion and self-esteem of students
One step that can be done to curb the symptoms of truancy is increasing religious beliefs and moral values. Motivational program for students with disabilities should be conducted. They need to be instilled with the values taught by religion and motivated to avoid negative symptoms that could harm themselves and their future. Besides self-esteem should be nurtured so that students are not easily influenced by cultures far contrary to the norms of life. Self-esteem is able to produce students who are motivated towards a positive thing. The effect is high student morale and higher knowledge will be produce.
7.0 Conclusion
In recent years, increasing rates of discipline problems in schools in Malaysia that dramatically raise a question mark to various parties about the exact cause of occurrence of this phenomenon. Truancy cases mainly recorded the highest number of cases compared with other disciplines. Symptoms of truancy among students with increased rates of serious range although various measures have been implemented to tackle this problem.
In fact, there is the main cause of absenteeism from school practices are caused by the influence of friends also become a cause of occurrence of truancy problems among students. Call from their peers for truancy will influence the minds of students who are not thinking rationally. They will only be by invitation and all call their friends without thinking long. This phenomenon occurs because the partners intend to truancy will provide a variety of reasons which are considered reasonable for them. Education in school activities and said bore truancy to recharge a reason not to attend school. This clearly shows the influence of friends became a factor in the occurrence of truancy among students.
The collapse of the family institution into one of the occurrence of symptoms factor Stress. Occurred in conflicts between parents cause their children are not forgotten. All actions of their children outside the home and at school are not taken serious. Barrenness love and explosion pressure on the person students come from families with problems they are trying to cause truancy. This shows the collapse of family institutions affect discipline problems among students, particularly truancy problems. In a family with parents being the materialistic kind, practice to care for the welfare and needs of children have been taken over by the attitude that want to pursue purely material. Their children and love are not fully given. So no wonder if children choose to absenteeism from school and socialize with friends outside school who are considered more closely with them. Stress also caube by the situation in school.
Education of parents and religious were less absenteeism from school is becoming-so. While at home, children are not educated by their parents with the proper attitude of responsibility and not teach into their lives. This does not directly affect the formation of their personal practices and truancy is not an act practiced by those responsible. Education problems parents who are not effective sometimes can cause them not able to do the rational about the offense that they do terrible things and good things done by them. This proves that education of parents about proper indirectly affect the emergence of the symptoms of truancy.
Among the measures that can be implemented to tackle this problem is to tighten school rules. Heavier punishments such as suspended and expelled from school the school should be established for students who are frequency student absent from school without reasonable excuse. Detection system truancy practices that should be implemented more effectively so that students who frequent truancy can be detected more quickly and more effectively. Counseling services must be given to those who frequent absenteeism from school to ensure that the issues they face and help step can be implemented.
Parents also need to spend more time with their children and to give adequate attention to the behavior of their children in school. Freedom socialize with friends outside the school also should be controlled to avoid the children affected by practices like truancy. Non formal education should be at an early. Children should be educated to be more responsible in and capable of rational thought.
Society also need to collaborate in efforts to tackle this problem by reporting cases of absenteeism from schools outside the school if not detected. Different attitude in the wilderness enau release shoots respectively must be erased in the society. The government can also organize lectures and campaigns related to the dangers events at each school truancy. This can to some extent in helping creating self-awareness in students about the dangers behind the symptoms of truancy.
Efforts to improve the morale and morality of students involved in school truancy is also important. Strong religious upbringing should be nurtured, guidance from parents, and improving moral values important to produce students who are independent of school truancy.
Conclusion, all parties must work together in addressing this problem before it become more bad. By creating a more useful generation in the future also, from all the drastic measures should be implemented. Actions of one party alone will not result. So, together we work together to tackle this problem. So, from this study can be identified that the main factors that cause secondary school students involved in the problem of absenteeism is the influence of friends
Reference
A.S. Homby, (1974) Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
Of Current English, Oxford University Press.
lsmail Yusof,Discipline in School-Truancy SchoolReport of the National Conference on Race
Encarta Dictionaries 2009
Oxford Dictionary in 1965
Norman Ismail (reported by the Yaakub, in 1977)
http://blog.azhad.com/2008/07/ponteng-masalah-disiplin-paling-serius.html
http://www.tutor.com.my/tutor/dunia.asp?dt=0518&pg=be_01.htm&sec=Berita&y=2005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truancy
http://images.google.com.my/imglanding?q=truancy&imgurl=http://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/images/0/e/truancy_LARGE.jpg&imgrefurl=
Siput dan lintah adalah hanya moluska yang hidup di darat, dan seperti sepupu mereka yang hidup di laut, mereka harus tetap lembap sepanjang masa. Kerana itulah cara terpantas untuk membunuh mereka adalah menuangkan garam pada mereka sehingga mereka mengering. Mereka meninggalkan jejak lendir ketika mereka berjalan sehingga mereka dapat bergerak di seluruh permukaan kering tanpa kehilangan kelembapan, dan sebagai manfaat sisi mereka dapat meluncur di pinggiran yang tajam, seperti pisau cukur, tanpa luka! Lendir mukus yang mereka hasilkan juga membuat sangat sukar bagi pemangsa untuk mengcengkam mereka di mulut.
