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SuisseWorried teachers: absenteeism also affects primary school
The Syndicat des Teachers Romands points to a growing problem concerning schoolchildren, repeated and unjustified absences that often hide something else.
The teachers want clear procedures and support when they see cases of school absenteeism.
GettyReact, before it is too late. This is what the union of French teachers (SER) is asked this Thursday. More concretely, it today highlights a growing problem, but often neglected: school absenteeism. “We have no complete and precise statistics to provide, but the observation is shared by many French and German teachers. The trend is clear: there is more and more cases, ”says David Rey, president of the Ser.
Perhaps even more serious, “contrary to what was going on before, where absenteeism occurred especially at the secondary level, the figures are also up, also, in primary school”, worries the ser. And its president to explain: “Society in general and the school in particular are more anxiety -provoking for certain students than in the past and the phenomenon affects ever younger children”, considers David Rey.
Very different causes from one to the other
To “mitigate the problem”, the Ser believes that the political world, schools, parents and society must assume their responsibilities together. “The reasons for frequent and unjustified absences are generally complex (…) and the school is rarely the only cause,” analyzes the ser. And David Rey to quote harassment, family framework or fear of failure, as other potential causes. “It is always multifactorial and very different from one child to another,” he summarizes.
The union therefore claims “clear procedures to manage repeated absences”, as well as awareness of teachers, specialized psychosocial staff and parents. “Before, the parents had total confidence in the school. But today, some of them do not hesitate to criticize her in front of their children. This participates in the phenomenon, ”says David Rey. In addition, it requires suitable structures.
Do not wait for “bullshit”
“Schools need the support of education officials to set up preventive structures and procedures, so as not to waste time in the event of a crisis,” argues the union. Indeed, if there are institutions for picking up students, they sometimes intervene too late. “It is as if we were waiting for the kid to bullshit and crumbled under the problems to do something, when there had perhaps had a phase of prior absenteeism during which we could have intervened,” criticizes David Rey.
