KUWAIT CITY, March 22: Although the educational districts have taken various measures and implemented regulations to curb student absenteeism, schools in various educational districts reported alarmingly high absenteeism rates on Thursday. Some schools witnessed up to 50 percent of students absent, while others recorded a rate as high as 90 percent. Notably, this trend was not observed in the schools for girls at the same extent. This recurring issue, particularly prevalent before holidays and exams, prompted school administrations to take immediate action. In many cases, they allowed the few students who attended to leave early and contacted parents to arrange for their return home. The overwhelming absence of students rendered it impractical for schools to continue the day’s activities. Despite the educational districts’ tremendous efforts to address absenteeism; the phenomenon continues to worsen, especially during certain periods like the days leading up to official holidays and exams. This has forced educational authorities to take additional measures to mitigate its impact on students’ academic progress. In response, the General Administration of the Jahra Educational District issued an official circular, a copy of which was obtained by the newspaper, addressing all educational levels and kindergartens.

The circular underscored the importance of regular school attendance, warning that frequent absences negatively affect student performance and disrupt educational goals. The circular called for strict adherence to attendance policies and the establishment of daily absence records to counter the rising absenteeism rate, which is increasingly inconsistent with existing rules and regulations. It also provides a series of directives for schools, including ensuring consistent student attendance throughout the week, not being lenient with absence records, and permitting early departures under official procedures and after consultation with the relevant authorities.

In addition, the circular stressed that students should not be allowed to skip school before official holidays or final exams unless they present valid excuses. Parents are urged to support school attendance by encouraging their children to attend classes regularly and maintaining consistent communication with school authorities. Furthermore, the circular stressed the importance of monitoring curricula and adhering to educational plans to ensure continuous learning despite student absences. Schools are instructed to take strict administrative and regulatory measures against unexcused absences in line with established guidelines. It reiterated that these measures are part of a broader effort to improve the quality of education and minimize the adverse effects of absenteeism on students’ academic success. Parents are urged to cooperate with school administrations to maintain discipline in the educational process and help achieve the desired outcomes, it asserted. It also clarified that daily absenteeism reports must be submitted to the educational districts, and schools are expected to fully comply with the guidelines stipulated in the circular to avoid legal repercussions.

By Abdulrahman Al-Shammari
 Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff