Tackling truancy with technology

Technology is in a fantastic position to track truancy trends, says Kieran Layer, Content Marketing Executive at Groupcall

Posted by Joe Lawson-West | July 13, 2017 | Technology

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• #kieran-layer

Truancy has been a problem for schools as long as memories serve, and isn’t going away easily. It hasn’t always had the same level of attention as other issues, such as funding, strikes or workload, but truancy is always there, and is something every school should be looking to tackle.

How prevalent is truancy?

As reported by The Telegraph, truancy cases are on the rise. 2015 saw a jump of 25% from 2013, with nearly 90 prosecutions of parents and guardians taking place on a daily basis. When such sharp growth appears, education professionals begin asking themselves why it happens, and what can be done to keep young people in school.

Truancy is a more common issue in secondary schools than primary, in part due to the extra freedoms and responsibilities afforded to pupils, but it is not a problem that doesn’t exist for younger children. The one-to-one nature of classroom teaching in primary schools makes it easier to identify a pattern, yet regular absences labelled as “authorised” can be a clue as to a wider problem that the school needs to handle, and every day missed from school is a day that cannot be recovered easily.

What are the dangers associated with it?

When students aren’t in school, there are a number of areas of their development that are particularly vulnerable. First and foremost is their education. By skipping lessons, they are missing out on valuable knowledge. At no point is there a “good” time to miss out, given the importance of early development and the high stakes for older students as they approach the exams that can decide their future.

Child safety is the greatest risk of all. When nobody knows where the child is, nobody can do anything to protect them. Children with a history of truancy are shown to be more prone to underage drinking, smoking and use of illegal drugs, none of which can be helped while they are off grid.

Fortunately, there are methods now that can help schools keep on top of attendance and truancy, and technology can play a big part in a school’s strategy.

How can technology help?

Technology is in a fantastic position to track trends in the data that would otherwise escape notice. A year 7 student missing the same afternoon as a year 10 on a regular basis might be a clue towards a wider problem, and this early hint too often isn’t realised until examined in retrospect. By highlighting these patterns as soon as they appear, technology allows schools to tackle the problem before it develops into a crisis.

With products like Groupcall Messenger, technology can automatically act to help solve an issue before it becomes a bigger problem. As registers are logged into the MIS, Messenger can send out automatic communications to all contacts for unauthorised absences, asking for an explanation. In the event of a truant, the parent or guardian will be alerted as soon as possible, and action can be taken immediately. In the awful event of a missing child, police can be notified and searches can begin straight away.

 Through Groupcall Emerge, teachers have access to their MIS data on any device, be it phone, tablet, laptop or desktop. This information includes everything from registers, to attendance, to timetables, and more. By being connected to the MIS at all times, teachers can flag missing children immediately to the school, as time is ever of the essence. All Groupcall products integrate with each other, allowing action to be taken on Messenger as soon as it is captured on Emerge.

W: www.groupcall.com