Factors Affecting the absenteeism in Philippine Public Elementary School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Absenteeism is a common problem of public schools in the Philippines. One out of ten students are marked absent every day in the classroom. According to the Department of Education (Department of Education), students must be present at least 80% of the total number of school days in a year to fulfill the requirement in attendance. Once the students' absences exceed the allowed 20% of the total number of days in a school year, the student is automatically considered dropped or failed. The researcher aims to determine the reasons of absenteeism among their school's learners.

METHODS

This is a qualitative-descriptive research that maps out the reasons of the 26 students who are identified frequently absent. Data collection is done through in-depth interviews and document analysis of the pupils' daily attendance. Classroom experiences and teachers' narratives were also used in this study.

RESULTS

Among all the causes of absenteeism among public school pupils, financial difficulty or poverty is the primary reason. Other reasons of their absences are the following: distance of the school, health, and family problem. The least reason for their absence is having a negative attitude towards studies.DISCUSSIONSActivities should educate students, parents, families and communities about the importance of daily school attendance.