In recent months, Benilde-St. Margaret’s has observed a noteworthy trend in student absenteeism that calls for a closer examination. This rise in students not attending school towards this last semester of the year has caught the attention of teachers and staff, sparking curiosity as well as concern.
Whether it’s a family vacation, senior slide, or having an “appointment” that strategically lines up with a math test you didn’t study for, more and more students have been missing school this semester in comparison to past years. This can strongly affect a student’s academic performance in the classroom and their overall educational progress. “Not only does it affect the student, but it affects the teacher because oftentimes to avoid cheating, they have to make up a whole second test, which is a huge pain. I think if the kid gets in the habit of avoiding tests and pretending to be sick, then it gets really hard to get back on track. And I mean, if they have to be out, and are truly sick or have an appointment, I would imagine it’s super stressful because each day they’re missing important content,” Senior High receptionist Kathleen Huyck said.
The weeks leading up to and following spring break were a popular time for families to get out of the cold Minnesota weather and venture off to the warm beaches. Though weeks after spring break ended, however, being absent from school due to travel was no longer a viable excuse. “I’ve been here almost 10 years and over the 10 years I have subbed in the attendance office, so in my opinion, I have noticed a huge increase in the number of appointments that kids are out for, whether they are real or not,” Huyck said.
“I’ve been here almost 10 years and over the 10 years I have subbed in the attendance office, so in my opinion, I have noticed a huge increase in the number of appointments that kids are out for, whether they are real or not.”
— Kathleen Huyck
Some students find it difficult to go weeks at a time without a break from school. Instead of spending time relaxing on weekends, their time is occupied by homework and spring sports games and practices. Junior Abu Keita even mentioned that the year and a half we had doing online school during the pandemic, is a factor for this absentee conflict. “I think that COVID ruined most students’ stamina and energy for staying in school without having breaks and time off more often. But at the same time, I think by second semester, everyone is tired of school altogether,” Keita said.