Truancy is when a student is absent from school without their parents knowledge or permission. It is usually defined as an intentional, unjustified, unauthorized, or illegal absence from compulsory education. Truancy is different from school refusal, which is when children get very upset about going to school, and they won’t or can’t go. Some key points about truancy include:

• Definition: Truancy is usually explicitly defined in the schools handbook of policies and procedures. In California, for example, a student missing more than 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse three times during the school year must be classified as a truant and reported to the proper school authority.

• Consequences: If a student is truant, the school can contact local law enforcement to refer the case to court. Parents can be fined, ordered to take action that will make their child go to school, ordered to go to a parent training class, ordered to go to school with their child, ordered to perform community service at school, ordered to go to counseling or other services. Chronic absenteeism, which includes truancy, can have negative effects on a childs academic success, including lower reading levels and higher rates of failing, suspension, and dropping out of school.

• Reasons: Truancy can happen for various reasons, including feeling bored at school, not feeling a sense of connection to school, teachers, or peers, being influenced by peers to wag school, wanting to take risks and push boundaries, and major life changes such as moving house or schools.

It is important to address truancy early on before it becomes a long-term problem. Parents can reduce unnecessary absences, learn about attendance policies where they live, and prioritize getting their kids to school on time, every day.