Skipping Out and Missing Out

Today I attempted to meet with a student who has been absent many days since the start of school.  The start of school which began a mere three weeks ago.  Skipping school.  For some young people, it seems like a rite of passage, something "harmless" you do on occasion with your friends, something that in some schools is an organized, unofficial day called SENIOR SKIP DAY in which the seniors and a few underclassmen always find it acceptable to participate.  An opportunity to "get over" on your parents and teachers and rebell against a school rule and test the limits set for you.  Some stay home, gather at a friend's house unsupervised, visit a neighboring school, hang out at the mall or venture to a nearby town or community.  Rarely, if ever, does SENIOR SKIP DAY involve books, studying or going to the library. 

For others, skipping school is a sign of something more serious, something that in most cases needs and requires the attention of an adult.  I have known students who skip school because they feel sad or even depressed, they are fearful of being around their peers, they feel intimidated in the classroom, especially if they just can't seem to understand the teacher, they are being harassed by one or more peers, they feel isolated and/or different, they have no money for lunch or new clothes, they have to care for younger siblings or a sick parent, they have to care for a child of their own, they have to seek and maintain employment, or they have no means of transportation to school.

The school attendance rate at many schools hovers around 75-80%.  Where are the rest of the children and what are they doing?  How much learning is lost when children don't come to school?  Where are the adults in their lives and do they condone school absence?   Just a few of many questions to ask to begin to solve the problem of school attendance.

I don't yet know why my student is missing so many days.  However, the lesson for young people follows.  If you or somebody you know is experiencing any of the above or something similar, seek the help of a parent, teacher, counselor, adminstrator or other caring adult.  You are not alone and things are never as bad as they seem.  Your education is probably one of, if not, the most determinant factor in your personal success.  Don't waste or squander it.  AND DON'T UNDERESTIMATE YOUR POTENTIAL.  If you can dream it, then you can do it.  Most young people are used to hearing, "get a good education, so you can get a good job".  While true, I find that to be a small part of the story.  Education, once obtained, can never be lost.  It cannot be given away or stolen.  It can be enlightening, comforting, inspiring.  It will challenge your imagination, motivate your thinking, spark your creativity.  It knows no boundaries, no limits.  It provides an avenue for giving and receiving information.  Information that will help you become more conscious, aware and interested in the world in which you live, all the people which live in it and an appreciation and understanding of the similarities which bond us as humans.  Information that will help you feel better about you. 

Education is its own rite of passage and opportunity.  Passage to life and the world.  Passage to discovering all of the talents you possess and the tools to use in sharing those talents with others.  Opportunity to achieve more than those before you, to set the stage for those after you.  Without education, that doctor can't heal, that lawyer can't defend, that architect can't design, that writer can't write, that pilot can't fly, that stylist can't style, that player can't read plays, that president can't lead, that social worker can't transform lives, and that teacher can't teach.  

So the next time you decide to skip school, take a moment to think and remind your friends that if you skip school, then you skip out on education, that thing that is timeless and priceless.  In thirty years, no one will remember what you did on SENIOR SKIP DAY or why you weren't in school, but they will remember what "cool" things you did with your education.  Remember, you control your future, no matter your story, and getting an education is a good start.  Just ask those who skipped school.