Assessment of Truancy in Kibaha District Public secondary schools

This study investigates the problem of truancy in Kibaha district public secondary schools and strategies adopted in addressing it. Three research objectives guided the study, namely, to examine the degree, forms and causes of truancy in secondary schools; to examine the effects of truancy on academic achievement among students learning; and to investigate the extent to which the strategies adopted in cubing truancy in public secondary school. The study adopted a qualitative research approach to research using a case study design with a study sample of 56 respondents, including a DEO (n=1), schools heads (n=5), teachers (n=5), parents (n=10) students (n=35). The methods for data collection, including semi structured interviews; focus group discussion, and documentary review. The data obtained were analysed qualitatively through thematic analysis. The findings in this study disclosed that there were different forms of truancy in Kibaha, including, total absence from school, student coming late and early depart as well as students present at school but fail to attend at classes. It was revealed further that the factors influencing truants varied from the social- cultural, socio -economic, negative individual attitudes towards education, distance from school, influence of peers and friends to school- related factors. The finding furthermore revealed that different strategies were used in cubing the problem of truancy. Including talking to parents of truants and their friends, and was through taking parents to court. Finally, the research findings suggested that, cooperation and team work formed one of the important strategies for reducing or eliminating the problem of truancy in schools. The study recommended that the government should build hostels and increase dormitories to reduce the walking distance from schools. The study furthermore recommended that future studies could focus on assessing the impacts of social cultural practices on students’ school attendance as well as strategies to reduce it.