CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

            It has been observed that a number of students in institutions of learning are truant. They become truant in order to engage in activities which are neither under the control of the home nor of the school. To defend himself or herself. The truant decoys his parents and teachers and frequent truancy may lead to vagrancy. Truancy is more a proof of the inadequacy our present educational system than an evidence of any propensity to crime.

            It is a system, which attaches little importance to individuality. The ways in which children exhibit their truancy are many. An example can be cited in Irele in Ondo state where students usually go to the bush to search for snails, killing rabbits and collecting fruits, going to hidden places without any purpose. Some finds their way to the rivers to swim while others engage in petty jobs to get money for buying snacks, minerals, ice cream etc some even engage in secrete love that always makes them to leave the school premises. There are some students who cannot bear or remain in the corrective atmosphere at home or in the school such students will have to explore other places to relax and satisfy their curiosity. Obviously, such students will truant in the school. A truant can also be described as the person that stays away from school without good reasons. He or she is irregular at school attendance for he finds other places more attractive than that school and all. It stands for truancy is one of the offences which students in institutions of learning commit. From research work carried out it was discovered that truancy is of varying degree in institutions of learning and it is comparatively greater in the secondary schools than the high institutions of learning.

            Researches have shown that the rate at which staff and students in our society are committing truancy is alarming. This probably gives a strong indication as to the effectiveness of externally motivated factors; to makes individual conform to the norms of society. In this research, I would like to look at the child’s personality, the parents, the child development stages and the possible causes, effects and solutions of truancy, which is not due to single isolated factors, but a combination of factors. These causal factors are by no means the only factors that have been fingered for the high rate of truancy amongst students.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

            Truancy poses a se4ious threat to learning in most schools, the school on the other hand, do not seem to be able to cope with the problem,. Because no sufficient attempts has been made to reach its root. One thing that is clear in this issue. There is a growing tendency for schools children to be involved in social vices, such as stealing, smoking etc. this is because most home no longer play their traditional function to rear and bring up the child in an upright manner. This is because many parents are sop preoccupied with duties (working, travelling) outside the homes that they have little or no time to keep watch over the action and behaviour of their children.

            In most of their schools, there is no conducive atmosphere for learning. This is due to the fact that schools are highly populated, poorly equipped and under staffed. Since students cannot cope with their unfavourable conditions, which these schools are placed, this eventually leads to truancy and other social vices found in our society today. Broken home can also be attributed to the cause of truancy because children from a single parent need to be more exposed to the danger of the society, for example a single parent child will leave the mothers house and say he or she is going to the father house thereby using the opportunity to go and stay in her boyfriends house for the boys, they so and join bad peer group without the mother and father knowing, because they would think she is in the father house and vise visa.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY  

            This research is carried out to find possible solution to the causes of truancy as a social problem among secondary school students. Our policy makers, administrators, parent’s teachers, pupils and other person who play active role in or educational system must face this problem. It must survive the test of time, remedy for most of our societal problem. This would certainly contribute to national welfare, productivity and reduce the unpleasant situation experienced by students who are seen as failure.

SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

            The purpose of this study is to identify the causes of truancy among secondary school students apart from this, the result of this study will be useful to education planners, administrators of school and parents and as well as the general public. It will contribute to the few existing literature on truancy.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

            The research questions of the study includes;

1.      Does inadequate equipment facilitate truancy among students of various groups?

2.      Does poor classroom management leads to truancy in school?

3.      Does lack of parents care causes truancy?

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

            The study would be limited to Irele West Local Government Area of Ondo State and would focus on the effect of truancy on the academic performance of students in Irele West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

            A truant is a child who stays away from school without good reasons in order to avoid classroom work that seen unpleasant to time. According to Herbert (1994) defined truancy “as a child who absent himself from school without a legitimate cause and without the permission of this parents or the school authorities.

Truancy: frequent absence from school without permission is known as truancy. This affects learning as lesson are missed by students who stayed away from school as a result of truancy.

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