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Have you ever tried to “cram” before a dentist appointment? After neglecting to floss for several weeks, you spend 20 minutes going around each tooth thoroughly, then brushing until your teeth bleed. You may even unearth the oral rinse from the dark recesses of your cabinet. All of this in an effort to hide the fact that you haven’t been taking very good care of your teeth.

Does it work? No.

Some things in life just need to be done daily, consistently, in order to be effective. School attendance for kids is one of those things. Just as brushing your teeth every now and then isn’t going to produce great oral health, infrequent, sporadic school attendance is not going to produce a well-educated child. When students repeatedly miss school, “cavities” develop in their learning, and trying to cram before final exams is not going to make up the deficiencies.

All across the United States, absenteeism is becoming more and more of a problem.

In March of this year, The New York Times reported that, on average, 26 percent of public school students are chronically absent. This is up from 15 percent before the pandemic. In lower-income areas, where there are always higher rates of absenteeism, 32 percent of students are chronically absent!

Why are kids missing school?

When COVID-19 restrictions moved kids out of the classroom, something in our culture changed. Children and many parents began to see school as optional and prioritized it less. These attitudes haven’t changed since the return to school.

Common reasons for absenteeism include travel, physical and mental illness, and bullying. Other causes are related to financial distress such as lack of transportation or warm clothes and the need for a babysitter at home.

Why does it matter?

According to American University’s School of Education, “When children are absent from school, they miss out on consistent instruction that is needed to develop basic skills. Children in early grades are particularly susceptible to falling behind in fundamental reading skills, which can have a snowball effect that impacts future learning.”

Absenteeism in children who have “learning and thinking differences” may go longer without interventions. Students who fall behind are more likely to drop out of school, which leads to lower-wage jobs and a higher risk of poverty.

“Poor attendance can also have a negative effect on social and emotional development. For example, students who are chronically absent in the early years of their education may not learn crucial school readiness skills (abilities such as critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking), and can fall behind their peers in social-emotional development.”

In addition, absenteeism hurts teachers and fellow students. Teachers who are trying to get a child caught up on missed work experience an increased workload and the whole class sacrifices valuable instruction time.

What can we do? The same article by American University’s School of Education lists things parents can do to help increase school attendance.

Talk with the child. Conversations are the first step to understanding root causes and working toward a solution.

Contact the school. Teachers, counselors and administrators may be able to provide additional information that helps determine what is causing a child to miss school.

Consider an evaluation for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan. Both programs can provide special accommodations and support for students who are struggling with disabilities.

Set attendance goals with the child. Creating a plan and tracking progress can encourage better attendance and provide opportunities for conversations and support. Simple steps such as making sure a child gets enough sleep and taking steps to prepare for school the day or night before can also be effective.

Prioritizing school attendance will not guarantee straight A’s or a valedictorian status, but you may be surprised at just how much it helps to simply show up. The Murray School District published an online article on Nov. 23 detailing the benefits of regular school attendance.

Consistently attending school will:

• Increase proficiency in core subjects.
• Help students keep up with classwork.
• Ensure comprehension of the material.
• Improve grades.
• Increase the likelihood of graduation, higher education and a successful career.
• Develop positive habits, self-discipline and accountability.
• Decrease the number of disciplinary issues in the school.
• Create a more supportive community.

Regular, consistent school attendance is important and effective. As a nation, we need to return to the mindset of expecting our young people to attend school. It is well worth the effort to promote the success of our children.

United Way of Utah County is on a mission to help every child in our community feel safe, connected and confident. You can listen to our latest podcast episode at anchor.fm/everydaystrong (or on Apple Podcast and Spotify). Learn more about us at everydaystrong.org.