Schools face “Friday absence” for students with warnings and deducting behavior grades

Private school administrations confirmed that the rates of absence of students with an acceptable excuse on Fridays are low, compared to those who are absent without medical or acceptable reasons, indicating that repeated absences without justification negatively affect the students’ academic achievement and academic commitment.

School administrations explained that the accumulation of lessons and assignments resulting from large absences weakens students’ ability to keep up with academic requirements and negatively affects their preparation for tests, stressing that they are taking effective measures to ensure students’ attendance and commitment to the prescribed curricula, including deducting behavior grades for students who have been notified not to repeat unexcused absences. acceptable.

In detail, the administrator at a private school, Alaa Muhammad, stated that the administrative and teaching staff works throughout the school year to enhance behavioral discipline and academic commitment, as parents are notified verbally in the event of a student’s repeated absence without justification.

She explained that the behavior regulations include absences before or after vacations, at the end of the week, and before exams, and the school applies second-degree violation procedures to those whose absences are repeated without an acceptable excuse after repeatedly directing them verbally, and includes deducting eight grades from the behavior grades, with the aim of addressing inappropriate behaviors. Disciplined and ensuring an integrated learning environment.

For her part, a kindergarten teacher at a private school, Amal Abdel Latif, confirmed that the rate of student absence on Friday is higher than that on the rest of the week, noting that the teacher does not stand idly by when noticing this repeated behavior, but rather takes steps to achieve the student’s interest, which is communicating with His guardian to explain the negative repercussions that affect the students’ academic achievement as a result of their absence without an acceptable excuse.

She stated that school administrations are working to reduce absenteeism rates by adopting encouraging methods to motivate students to commit to attendance on Fridays, including organizing special events of an entertaining and educational nature, such as allocating a day on which students wear a specific uniform, noting that these initiatives aim to improve the experience. Students and enhance their sense of belonging to school, which contributes to reducing absenteeism rates. While the administrator at a private school, Amna Abdullah Muhammad, stressed the importance of the role of parents in reducing student absence, calling for the necessity of cooperation with the school to emphasize the importance of regular attendance and its positive impact on academic achievement, as this cooperation is an integral part of the shared responsibility between the family. The school ensures that students are followed up regularly and encouraged to take advantage of all available educational opportunities.

In addition, the family and legal advisor, Moza Masoud, stressed the pivotal importance of the family’s role in enhancing children’s commitment to school attendance on Friday, noting that the decision issued by the competent authorities to set four school hours for this day embodies a national vision that is in the interest of the state and requires everyone Respect and adhere to it.

Masoud explained that the family has the responsibility to guide the children and make them aware of the importance of school discipline, especially in light of the allocation of Saturday and Sunday as an alternative weekend holiday, as some students, unfortunately, use Friday as an excuse for absence, which may weaken their educational seriousness and affect their academic path, noting that The necessity of cooperation between educational institutions and parents through holding regular awareness-raising sessions.

She added that educational institutions play a pivotal role in consolidating the values ​​of discipline by organizing exams and activities that give Friday a serious nature, and contribute to modifying behaviors and instilling commitment in the hearts of students, noting the importance of monitoring cases of absence that occur without excuse, and applying verbal warnings to students. Those who are repeatedly absent, and then take the necessary measures to confront persistent cases of absence.

In addition, Ministerial Resolution No. (851) of 2018 regarding regulations for managing student behavior in public education institutions, which includes all governmental and private educational institutions in which students learn, such as schools, kindergartens, technical institutes, and continuing education centers, stipulates that the student’s repetition of the second violation ( Moderate severity) will lead to a deduction of eight points from his behavior grade. Violations include: absenting from school without an acceptable excuse, whether on regular days or during holidays and weekends, as well as before exams, in addition to leaving the classroom without permission, not attending school activities, and incitement to… Fighting or threatening colleagues, and acts such as violating public morals, imitating the opposite sex in appearance, writing on chairs, and misusing mobile phones are among the violations that lead to the deduction of behavior grades.