The Importance Of Truancy

The word truancy means “Run away from classes” and the students who always tend to keep themselves away from studies and avoid attending classes are called truants (Gosain 2013). In another vein, Stoll, (2002) in Chukwuka, (2013) defines truancy as “absence from school for no legitimate reason”. Nwana, (2004) in Adekunle, (2015) added that truancy involves intentionally absenting of oneself from school without permission, leaving without authorization and dodging of specific lesson periods. Therefore, it is clear that in a situation where a student absent himself from school without any concrete reason and the parents are not aware about it can be regarded as truancy. Many perspectives on factors that make learners play truant are based on images and certain assumptions researchers have about the learner. Carlen, Gleeson and Wardhaugh (1992:85) identified four of those perspectives. Generally, it is

Adedipe (1998) in Musa, (2014) opined that children who are not adequately monitored by their parents may show a variety of unhealthy symptoms in behaviors. Adebisi (1996) in Musa, (2014) opines that broken homes is a factor that causes truancy and absenteeism in children because in most broken home there is no proper care for the child. Truancy on academic in secondary school is a situation in which students develop and show adverse attitude and behaviour to learning. They absent themselves from classes using unnecessary excuses such as in genuine sickness, fake suspension by the class teacher or school authority and involvement in sport activities. In broader aspect this shows how family/home a factor of truancy