Factors that affects class cutting
ESCAPING classes by students has always been a pain in the stomach for school teachers and administrators. Literature says that the reasons behind class cutting variesfrom environmental to family problems and even has something to do with being bullied (Dunne, et al., 2013). I conducted a research called “School Runaways” which aimed in understanding the class cutting phenomenon and below are the collective views of the participants on class cutting.
Class Cutting as a response to lack of interest in school. Students skip some of their classes because of laziness which is understood to be the lack of interest and motivation. They did not feel doing activities and listening to teachers’ discussions. Fallis and Opotow (2003) define boredom as failure of the teacher to engage the students. This definition falls under teacher factor but participants say otherwise. One student said he wanted to go out to move freely.
It was easy for them to talk about and eventually skipping classes because they were not fully concentrated in school. They go to school only because they are expected to attend but they do not see its importance in their life. This is an alarming factor of class cutting because it is personal. It is difficult for a student to attend and complete school days when they do not find its meaning. They only get excited in activities where they are interested with. They do not see the general concept of schooling and its role to their future. This factor is related to personality and attitude as reasons pinpointed out by Reid (2003) and disengagement mentioned by Harris (2008) in his study citing it as the major cause of deviant behavior at school such as truancy.
Class cutting as a peer-influenced behavior. Students skip their classes when they agree among themselves. One admits that she feels happy when being with her friends. They usually meet after their morning dismissal to have lunch. The just talked and strolled on the nearby parks. The boys said they were invited by their friends to play computer games on shops near the school. They skip class when they are in groups. It is clear that a student would only be tempted to cut class when friends are with them.
Class Cutting as an avoidance of confrontation with teachers. Failure to do their assignments prompt students not to attend enter some of their classes. They fear that their teachers would reprimand them. When late they stay outside and wait until the subject or period is over. Students have experiences where their teachers. Fallis and Opotow (2003) call this “moral exclusion.”
Class cutting as a result of parents/guardians’ lack of commitment. Despite several calls, parents fail to attend teacher-parent conferences because of other engagements which they think are more important. When students have problems in school, some parents hardly visit even when called. It was the persistence of the teachers that made parents came to school. It appears that parents after the time they were called about the class-cutting incidence, do not make any follow up if their children are back to it again. Parents and guardians were preoccupied with their works so they failed to do their responsibilities to their children. This finding corroborates to the parenting style factor given by McNeal, (1999) mentioned in the study of Reid (2003). When school failed to monitor it and parents do not give their full commitment in supervising their children, students will not stop running away from the school in between classes.
Ideally a school is a place where students learn and develop. But not all students see it this way. Others see it as just another place where they are expected to go because their parents and society wanted them to. Class cutting is one of their responses when they couldn’t fit to this system.