CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
Absenteeism is the frequent absence from school or work especially without good
reason, according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Absenteeism causes more
harm than good. It brings about low standard of education and also leads to poor
academic performance. The inability to progress to advanced higher level of education by
the pupils is due to absenteeism.

Assin Nyankomasi is a farming community. Its people are mostly farmers. Every
country sees education as a key to development. In Ghana, education is the redemptive
factor for the socio-economic and political development of the individual and nation as a
whole. The Education Act of 1961 made it compulsory for primary and middle school
education, McWilliams and Kwamena Poh (1968).

It was during my teaching practice at Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary School

that I noticed the pupils were habitual absentees. They did not come to school regularly. I
therefore took it upon myself to research into this menace.

Schools are purposeful institutions set up by society with the explicit goal of
producing institutions for the systematic education of learners.

Again, the effect of absenteeism has become so great that it affects pupils at
school. The government and authorities have been asking for quality teaching and
learning to produce good learning outcomes in order to make the Free Compulsory
Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) real as enshrined in the 1992 constitution (chapter
6, section 38:2) a success. The FCUBE has three main components as;
a). Improving the quality of teaching and learning,
b). Improving the management for efficiency and effectiveness and
c). Access and participation.

In addition a lot of factors led to the pupils absenting themselves from school.
Some of these factors were illness. Some pupils did not come to school due to their
physical health. They are unwell and kept home in good faith. They do not feel fit and
strong to be coming to school. Parent withdrawal also known as withholding is another
factor. Some parents keep their wards from school for their own purpose. This is a very
serious offence. They do not allow the pupils to go to school anytime domestic crisis
occur. They rather engage their wards in a lot of house chores.

Truancy on the other hand is a big blow. A child may absent himself on his own
volition without the parents permission. The parents may think that their ward is in
school learning. Little do they know that the child is hiding somewhere and when school
closes, he/she goes to the house with the other pupils.

Lastly, school phobia really deters the pupils from attending school regularly. A
child may be afraid of going to school although the parents are anxious that he/she should

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be in school regularly. This school phobia may be due to unnecessary canning, threat and
all sorts of insults. Some of the pupils may also be given large portions of land to be
weeded at school.

Statement of the Problem

Absenteeism is a serious universal concern because it has been affecting the
educational development of the country. Yet little pain has been taken to find solution to
it. Due to the little concern given to absenteeism, guidance and counseling could be used
to solve the problem.

The absenteeism rate at Assin Nyankomasi has risen up to the extent that the
academic standard of the pupils have gone down. The pupils’ performances have become
worse. There has been low standard of education among pupils at Assin Nyankomasi
Catholic Primary School. This absenteeism has also led to their poor academic
performance in class and in examinations. The pupils have been exhibiting little efforts
with regards to education.

School attendance register does not state why pupils absent themselves.
Absenteeism to classes has serious repercussions on the teaching and learning interaction
process. Classes are usually smooth and uninterrupted with good attendance. When there
is absenteeism, instructional time is wasted as well as efforts instead of being put to use.
Parents engaging their wards during contact hours do not help the pupils. They should be
talked to and counseled to curb the situation. Truancy and school phobia should really be
addressed. Unnecessary caning and threats should be looked at. Another means of
punishment could be administered.

Parents should sometimes go to the school and ask if their wards came to school.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to research into the factors leading to absenteeism
among the pupils of Assin Nyankomasi Roman Catholic Primary. It is also to curb the
situation through guidance and counseling. The study is to educate the parents on the
need to educate their wards as well as the effects of absenteeism on their children and
find ways to eradicate it.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Why do pupils not attend school regularly?
2. Has the community got any part to play in the absenteeism?
3. Does absenteeism have to do with peer influence?
4. Is it likely to have a home background of pupils to form an integral part of the
problem of absenteeism?
5. Does the schools’ environment itself sometimes ward off pupils interest of
coming to school?

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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study is to improve primary school attendance and the reduction of
absenteeism. It is to give parents knowledge on how to reduce absenteeism. The research
also is to enable pupils to fully utilize school contact hours profitably. The study is to
create awareness for teachers and the community to know the factors influencing
absenteeism and how to combat the situation.

Finally, it is to engage the attention of the government and other stakeholders to

eradicate absenteeism.

LIMITATIONS
The research was limited to class four (4) pupils of Assin Nyankomasi Primary
event though there are many schools within the researcher catchments area. Most of these
schools also faced the same problem but as the researcher had only limited time at her
disposal.

DELIMITATIONS
Most of the pupils were not attending classes. Some also were not regular. Those
who came left earlier with the excuses that if they do not go to help their parents, they
will not be given food. The few who were attending did complain of lack of books and
pens. Sometimes, most of them came on empty. All these had effect on the research
results.

ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY

This deals with all the chapters for the project work. The research is divided into
five chapters.

Chapter one talks about the introduction which consists of the background of the
study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, significance of
the study, limitations, delimitations and organization of the study.

Chapter two deals with the review of the related literature on the causes of
absenteeism and what gurus have said about the problem.

Chapter three, is on methodology. Embedded in it are the research design,

population and sample selection, research instruments, pre-intervention, intervention,
post-intervention and data analysis.

Findings and discussion of results of the research and the interpretation of data is
all captioned under chapter four.

The final chapter, five, deals with the summary, conclusions and
recommendations of the whole research work.

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 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter talks about the concept of absenteeism. It also talks about what some
people have said about absenteeism.

Absenteeism is an educational cancer which has to be addressed by finding a cure

to it. Absenteeism is caused by the family or home, school and community. It is one of
the most serious problems that have engaged the attention of many writers and
researchers in the recent past. This is because its impact has disastrous consequences in
the school set up.

CONCEPT OF ABSENTEEISM
Champers 21st Century Dictionary defines absenteeism as “a practice of absenting
oneself from duty, post or estate.

According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, absenteeism is defined as

“the frequent absence from school or work without any good reason”. These two implies
that pupils or workers absent themselves without any good reason since it is their
practice.

Absenteeism has been termed by many people as school refusal thus refusing to
go to school. Absenteeism as it has been stated already is caused by the family, school
and the community. These three names play an integral part of the problem.
FAMILY/HOME
The family plays a major role ion the absenteeism of pupils a lot. It could be seen
that families with larger size has most of its ward not being regular to school. This is
because the parents may not be able to afford and cater for all of them. Definitely if not
all some will be in school while others may not. At times to none of them would be
present in the school signifying that the absenteeism rate is going to escalate. This could
be linked to what was said by some writers concerning families with larger size.

Mitchell (1972) found family size to be the largest in the case of pupils absent
entirely on non medical background.

According to Mitchell (1972) in “Central Scotland poor attendees tended to come

from families where the father was unskilled or semi-skilled worker”. Pupils hear may
find their fathers not working. Even if the father has work, the income earned is not
enough since the work is not appreciating.

In addition the home has got much impact on the pupils since most absentees live
in deprived homes. Their homes are not the best and their parents may be facing
difficulties as to how to fend for them.

Tyerman (1958) stated that “absentees usually live in disadvantaged homes”.

Broken homes really destroy children by killing them emotionally. When the father and
mother separate, the child is often left in the hands of one parent. The child does not get

4
all the love and attention needed. The problems with broken homes really promote
absenteeism. Only one parent sees to the welfare of the child. If the child does not go to
school regularly the one taking care of the child will not notice it as well as the one who
is no more living with the other partner.

According to Mitscherlich (1969) broken homes is one of the causes of

absenteeism. He felt the child should not only be given the basic necessities of life such
as food, shelter, and clothing but must also be given parental love, affection and attention.
The effects of broken home a research to Mitscherlich has on a young healthy child’s
development make him play truancy resorting to absenteeism.

Also, some parents keep their children to engage them in work at the expense of
their education. When domestic crisis occur, they feel they must keep the children so that
they can see to the work being done. Most families are guilty on this parental withdrawal.
It is a very bad thing since it leads to the pupils low academic performance.

Tyerman (1968) describes how in certain families it was accepted as normal and
proper to keep children away from when crisis occur.

All these writers saw that the family had a hand in the pupils absenting
themselves from school.

THESCHOOL
The school is the second home of the child aside from the home. This is why
when the child reaches a certain stage, he/she is brought to the school to learn new things
and have more ideas. The home is like a garden, the child has to be exposed to another
place to experience what it is like. This could be notices as Addison (1957; 54) stated
“the home is like a garden in which the child as the young plant begins to grow. At a
certain stage in life the child is transplanted to the school but transplant is not static”. The
young plant has to depend on both the home soil and the school soil to develop his/her
fullest stature. From the home to the school is the next place the child comes into contact
with.

The child has now left the parents to come and meet someone else. The child
should be protected and treated well likewise love by the school teachers to make him/her
feel that someone likes and love him/her as the parents. When this happens the child feels
free and relaxed.

Also, the school’s environment can be blamed for the habitual absenteeism of
pupils. Unnecessary caning, and punishment including insults discourages pupils from
being in schools regularly. The pupils become afraid and do not like to go to school. The
caning and/or threats put some fear in them. To avoid or dodge all these, they restore to
playing truancy.

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 Reid (1985) suggests that teachers and the school environment can be blamed for
absenteeism. Unnecessary caning, illegal punishment and threatening of pupils, result in
the high rate of absenteeism. However, a school which has insufficient infrastructure and
other facilities deters the child from attending school.

The child will not feel comfortable to come to the school and learn. Example a
school which has gotten its roof leaking during rainy season will not make pupils feel
comfortable coming to school.

According to Burges (1973), a child is school when he/she seriously and

irrationally fears school. Sometimes parents are blamed for the behaviour of their wards
while the school looks on unconcerned. The school sits down relaxed and do not care
about the wards of the parents.

The school thinks that it is not their business to delve into pupil’s behaviour
which is very wrong.

Furlog (1985) agrees to the view he place the responsibility of a student behaviour
on the parent while, the school accepts no responsibility for his behaviour. The school
authorities have to take some measures to assist parents in moulding the behaviour of
their wards and not look on unconcern. The school together with the parents can help to
eradicate absenteeism.

Parents who keep their wards away from school should be fined. If this is done,
most parents will refrain from not allowing their wards to go to school.

Clyne (1966) stipulates that the absences from school have a legal aspect. In most
civilized countries, school attendance is compulsory by law and absence may involve
penalties against the parent and the child. Parents found guilty may be asked to pay a
fine while truant children brought before juvenile court and may be put in special schools
for reformation.

School refusal to Reid (1986) is dissatisfaction from school a tendency that

implies a dislike for school. Absenteeism is associated with school phobia a fear to attend
school. This may be due to threats, unnecessary caning and insults from teachers making
the school environment hostile to the child.

School refusal according to Creak (1968) states that “unwillingness to attend

school in no new problem”.

Einsberg (1958) an American psychiatrist of school refusal also thought it was a

myth that normal child did not like school. School refusing children who have fled from
school actual contact with their school teachers and male is paradoxically long for them.

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 According to Clyne (1960) school refusal “is a medical problem that is a reactive
behaviour due to underlying physical illness”. If school is treated as a medical case and
absenteeism as an educational problem, then both concepts are synonymous.

This is so because it may be due to a lot of factors. Many factors come into
consideration when one refuses to go to school.

THE COMMUNITY
The community also breeds absenteeism. It has to ensure that its pupils go to
school regularly. The school is in the community, and so the community has to be
visiting the school to find out what is going on. In this way then it could be said that the
community is keeping its eye on the pupils in their school attendance.

During classes hours, some pupils would be found of loitering about. The
community is a very big factor since it engages the pupils in commercial activities like
selling foodstuff, bead and water. When the community does not take the education of its
pupils very seriously, the pupils will not perform well.

Absenteeism if not addressed academic performance will not improve. The pupils
will always perform poorly in the school Basic Education Certificate Examination
(BECE). The community should be able to talk to the parents of the pupils who absent
themselves a lot and the school authorities and teachers in order not to do things that will
ward off the pupils interest in coming to school regularly.
The opinion leaders in the community should pass a law that if any school pupil is
found outside the school during contact hours, the pupil will be caught and disciplined
while the parent will be fined.

Addison (1967) writing on the role of Parent Teacher Association (PTA) under
the caption ‘The Home and the Child’ stated that, “parents and teachers should come
together to think and plan about the welfare of the child”. Parents and guardians must be
interested in what goes on in the school. The absence of PTA pre-supposes that absence
of formal co-operation between the school and the community. When children realize
community participation in education, it heightens their desire and interest to be in school
always as to feel being accepted in the community.

If engaging in petty trading or helping parents to do some jobs instead of going to

school is not frown by parents and the community, children can do it comfortably thereby
encouraging absenteeism.

In Central Scotland, Mitchell (1972) stated that, “poor attendees tended to come
from families where the father was not skilled or a semi-skilled worker”. If parents keep
their wards away from school, they should be fined.

Tyerman (1955) describes how in certain families it is accepted as normal to keep

children from school whenever domestic crisis occur.

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 Clyne (1966) stipulated that the absence from school has an important legal
aspect. In most civilized countries, school attendance is compulsory by law and absence
may involve penalties against the parents and child. Parents who may be guilty may be
asked to pay fines while the truant child brought before juvenile court and may be put in
special schools for reformation.

Galloway (1976a, 1982a) noted a very strong correlation between the number of
persistent absentees from school and those children made to receive free school meals on
account of their parents low income.

Absenteeism is caused greatly by the family, school and community. It is also

caused by other factors like illness, truancy, school phobia and teachers. These factors
interrupt school and do not make the pupils come to school regularly.

Illness is a factor which makes people absent themselves from school. Some
pupils have problems with their health. They are unwell and kept at home in good faith.
When this happens, the pupil will not come to school regularly.

Since most of the pupils are not fit, it disturbs classes. The topic to be treated will
either have to be postponed to a different day or re-taught. This go a long way to affect
pupils academic performances contributing to the low standard of education.

According to Clyne (1960) school refusal “is a medical problem that is a reactive
behaviour due to underlying physical illness”. If school is treated as a medical case and
absenteeism as an educational problem, then both concepts are synonymous. The
physical defects and illness really affects the pupils a lot making school pose a problem
to them. This then affects their regularity to school.

TRUANCY
Truancy on the other hand causes the pupils absenteeism. Many of the pupils
absent themselves without their parents’ knowledge. The pupils play truancy because of
their physical health as stated earlier. Others are due to intelligence and sex differences.
Truancy is really played by boys more often than girls. Research conducted by many
writers attest to this fact.

Mullen (1950) had some evidence that among pre-adolescent children boys
outnumber girls as truants by about eight to one, but only by three to one in adolescence.
Girls are less aggressive than boys and more willing to accept an unhappy situation.
Education officers and social thought that this may however be due more to upbringing
than an inborn difference.

Pringle et al (1966), Mitchell and Shepherd (1961) stated that generally girls
adjust more easily than boys to school and do better in their primary school work. Boys
are really taken to school but now the girls have taken delight in school more than the
boys. The boys most at times play truant since physical aggressiveness, independence,

8
roughness and dominance are regarded as desirable in a boy whilst girls are brought up as
gentle and polite.

Intelligence leads to the pupils absenting themselves from school. Some pupils are
below average in intelligence. When this happens, they play truant that is they refuse to
come go school. The pupils will not enjoy school simply because they are below average
in intelligence and cannot compete with the other pupils in the class.

TEACHERS
Teachers play a role in the pupil’s absenteeism. The school is the next stage the
child comes into contact with. The teachers have to show love and care towards the
children. When this is done, pupils feel secured since apart from their parents they have
gotten parents who protect and love them much as they are in their houses.

That is why a writer said something about the school. Addison (1957; 54) stated
“the home is like a garden in which the child as the young plant begins to grow. At a
certain stage in life the child is transplanted to the school but transplant is not static”. The
young plant has to depend on both the home soil and the school soil to develop his/her
fullest stature.

Teachers have to take their time in dealing with the pupils as the school is their
second home. Some teachers are too harsh that they talk to the pupils anyhow. Some even
get angry easily at the little offence a pupil does and beat him/her mercilessly. Others also
rain insults and threaten the children. These things deter the pupils from coming to
school. They become afraid of their teachers and absent themselves from school. The
teachers make the pupils play truant. A teacher is suppose to be sympathetic, patience and
tolerant.

The teacher has to take time when it comes to the pupils. When the pupils absent
themselves the implications are a lot. Not all of them are going to be manifested. The rest
are going to be a long term effect which has got its own consequences.

Reid (1985) suggests that the teachers and school environment can be blamed for
absenteeism. Unnecessary caning and illegal punishments deters the pupils from coming
to school. It could be seen that the teachers make school unbearable resulting in their
absence from school.

SCHOOL PHOBIA
Lastly, school phobia is another cause of absenteeism. School phobia may be due
to a lot of things that goes on in the school. Casting all sort of insults and unnecessary
caning wards off the pupils interest in coming to school regularly.

The pupils have it in their mind that if they go to school, they would be punished
or insulted. This then instills some sort of fear inside them making them absent
themselves from school. The pupils therefore prefer to sty at home than to come to
school.

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 Tyerman (1968) however states that school phobia is a compulsive fear that is
unreasonable or great exaggeration.

According to Burges (1973), “a child is school phobic when he seriously and

irrationally fears school”.

The illegal caning and unnecessary punishment all forms part of this menace. It
creates a whole lot of problem for the pupils. The pupils then become handicapped. They
stay home a lot making their academic performance fall down. It disturbs classroom
activities thereby wasting energy and efforts.

It could be seen that the pupil do not intentionally miss school and classes, but it
is due to certain issues that come their way. Coming to school to be canned and
threatened as well as punished, on the slightest mistake, then it will be advisable to stay
away. This is what goes on in their mind. They then make their own decision and opt for
the one that suits them.

All these factors contribute greatly to absenteeism on the part of the pupils
thereby interrupting in their academic performances. If most of these problems are not
addressed with the seriousness it deserves, then the eradication of absenteeism and
improving on the standards of education will be a mirage.

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
This chapter focuses primary on the research techniques and methods employed
in the study. It also discuses the population sample, mode of sample, selected instruments
used and the data analysis procedure. This study again exposes some of the problems
encountered during the course of data collection and the research design to be used for
the study.

Research Design
The design is an action research. It is to help the researcher work hand in hand
with other people to solve perceived problem. The rationale for the design is to research
well into the problem of absenteeism at Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary and
eradicate it. This design will also make it easier for the researcher to gather information
in order to solve the problem of absenteeism using the intervention guidance and
counseling.

Population for the study and sample selection

Assin Nyankomasi is a town in the central region in Assin North District with a
population of about three thousand. The people are predominately farmers. The town can
boost of three schools namely, D/C Primary and Junior Secondary School, Wisdom
International and Roman Catholic Primary School. Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary
was chosen for the study of rampant cases of absenteeism.

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 The research was conducted on basic 4 a pupils. Out of the 37 pupils, 15 of them
were chosen for the study. About 8 teachers were also chosen since they knew about the
pupils performance in the classroom. These pupils had passed through the hands of these
teachers. Some parents were also selected. These include the parents of the habitual
absentees.

Sampling Procedures
Much of the pupils would have been used by the researcher but it would have
been very difficult in handling such a large number of pupils as weld as the parents and
teachers.

Due to the population size, some pupils and parents were chosen likewise
teachers. Simple random and systematic sampling was used. To get the sample
population, purposive sampling was done followed by the other.

Data obtained from the attendance register of the class showed that those pupils
were constant absentees. The researcher selected them purposely because they would be
in the right position to answer the research questions on absenteeism. The teachers were
also selected through purposive sampling since they could deal with pupils directly in the
classroom. The simple random sampling was used for the parents.

Purposive sampling was sometimes adopted because the researcher wanted to data
on the parents of the pupils who were habitual absentees. The rationale for this selection
procedure was to make it very easier in retrieving information from the parents, teachers
and pupils.

Research Instruments
The main instruments used for the data collection were interview and
questionnaires.

Interview
With this method, the researcher conducted a face to face interview with some
parents, pupils and teachers. The researcher noticed that this instrument would be the
right to use. The researcher asked them about their perception on the problem of
absenteeism among the pupils of the Catholic School Primary.

Upon interviewing the parents, it was found out that a lot of them were illiterates
and so they did not know much about education. With the twelve parents interviewed,
four of them contributed by saying that the pupils absenteeism was due to laziness and
peer pressure. Four parents also said that it was due to the school environment. The rest
also associated pupils absenteeism to the home background and community.

Again, the teachers interviewed also gave their comments. Out of the eight
teachers interviewed, four of them said that the pupils absenteeism was due to poverty.
Two of them attributed the absenting of pupils from school to laziness. The rest attributed

11
pupils absenteeism to the fact that most parents/guardians engaged their wards to too
many household chores before allowing them to go to school.

When the fifteen pupils were interviewed, six of them said that their parents did
not have money. Five pupils linked their absenteeism to the conditions prevailing in the
school that is, caning, illegal punishment and threats. The remaining four said that their
parents engaged them in the mornings with too many house chores thus eating into school
hours.

Some five leaders interviewed in the community said something about the pupils
absenteeism. Two of them said that most of the pupils were lazy while the remaining
three attributed pupils’ absenteeism to parents engaging their wards in too much work.
The parents sometimes had to let their wards go to farm for firewood and food for the
house. Al those interviewed were at Assin Nyankomasi. The interview was to find out the
causes of absenteeism among the pupils at Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary.

The interview was administered in the form of questionnaires. The people and
pupils had a structured interview prepared for them. It was designed to deal with pupils
background as well as the school and peer influence of absentees. The interview was also
framed in close ended forms with the intention of facilitating responses. There were a few
open ended items. In the close ended form a “Yes” or “No” answers were demanded. The
open ended form sought information from the respondents point of view. This was to
make the scoring less cumbersome.
Questionnaire
Parents, pupils and teachers were given some questionnaires to fill. This who
done to enable the researcher acquire the needed information that will eventually led to
why pupils absent themselves from school. The information gathered would help the
researcher find a way of curbing the menace.

Administering the Questionnaires

Thirty questionnaires were printed and distributed to parents, pupils and some
leaders in the community, who could read and write. Teachers were also given their
questionnaire and all respondents were asked not to write their names. Respondents were
asked either to fill in the appropriate spaces or to tick the correct answers. Respondents
were given five days after which the researcher shall collect back the answered
questionnaires. The questionnaires were based on the school environment and whether
some of the pupils entered places such as video centers to watch films. It was also
centered on pupils laziness and ill health.

Again the questionnaires were focused on the time parents made their wards slept
and whether their wards showed interest in doing their homework.

Data Analysis Procedure

Responses were collected from parents, teachers, pupils and some of the leaders.
They were coded according to the various sections and analyzed. Under each section the
results were tallied to find out the responses obtained from each section. The results got
were converted into percentages. A table was used to analyzed.

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Difficulties Encountered in the Data Collection
Despite the fact that the research seemed smooth, it encountered some problems.
Notably among them was parents’ unwillingness to do the interview. Some parents
thought that the researcher was prying into their privacy that is both parents and wards.
Some of the parents were farmers and petty traders so it was very difficult tracking them
for the interview. Others also taught that the researcher does not have the right to
interview them since they gave birth to the child and had the right to do whatever they
deem good.

Some of the pupils could not easily and wholeheartedly respond positively to the
interview since most of them taught it was a betrayal of either their parents or teachers
and might face the consequences in future.
The researcher was able to get all the questionnaires despite all these set backs.
They were all intact as none of it got lost or soiled.

Intervention
This is the set of strategies planned and implemented to solve a specific problem
of improve on educational practices located in an immediate situation. The processes are
pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention.

Pre-intervention
With the problem of absenteeism among the pupils at Assin Nyankomasi Catholic
Primary L/A. the researcher taught it wise to use instrument such as interview and
questionnaire to diagnose the problem. This helped me.
Intervention
The researcher adopted guidance and counseling as the intervention to help solve
the problem of absenteeism among the said school. Guidance is helping an individual to
explore his or herself and the environment whereas counseling is a process by which a
troubled person is helped to feel and behave in a more personally satisfying manner
through interaction with an individual.
With the guidance and counseling, pupils, parents and teachers regarded them as
different people and dealt with them separately including the community leaders.
Counseling of the parents, pupils, teachers and the leaders in the community took three
weeks moving from house to house.
The first few days were not easy but things normalized after a few days. Parents
were gradually taken through the guidance and counseling section. They were
encouraged more when I used the appraisal services. Information gathered from
individuals was analyzed accordingly. This helped me to better understand individual’s
problem in its own contest. Makinde in 1983 defined the appraisal service as when we
collect, analyze and use a variety of objective data for the purpose of better understanding
of the student or client.

Based of the information gathered during the interview, it can out clearly that
most of the pupils’ absenteeism was as a result of their own laziness and also peer group
influence. To this pupils were taken through the counseling, where the researcher talked
to them on the need to be in school regularly. Pupils were made to understand the

13
implication of absenting oneself from school. Minus the fact that they would not perform
well in their end of year exams, they will not be secured in the job market as they might
not get any skill or certificate. They were made aware that education was the key to
national development and it was the bedrock of individual’s development. Stories
concerning students who absented themselves from school and ended up miserable and
frustrated were narrated to them.

During the subsequent days, a follow up was done and still impressed on them to
make certain changes in the life style. Most pupils found it difficult from the start, but
with continuous counseling and interactions, they started responding gradually. A few
however had to be referred to the authorities to help steer them to the right course.

On the part of the parents, the researcher personally consulted them in search of
more information. The consultation services were employed in this regard. Through the
interview and questionnaires it came to light that some parents burdened their wards with
too many domestic chores. Either pupils had to sell during the nights and sleep late or had
to wake up early to go for firewood, foodstuff etc from the farm and bring them to the
market to sell before going home to prepare for school. Some pupils did both.

Another contributing factor was illiteracy on the part of some parents. These
parents did or do not know the real value of education and therefore did nothing to
encourage their wards to prepare and go to school daily.

Most parents had to be counseled. During individual counseling session, parents

were assured of their safety and confidentiality. They had to first build trust and
confidence in me and when these had been attained, the session began. Most parents were
reluctant to cooperate but the researcher’s patience and regular visits to their wards made
it easy for them to come out. When finally most parents were willing to accept the
counseling session they were made to express themselves freely. The researcher in most
cases f for them but they were made aware of the vast opportunities that await them
should they encourage and help their wards climb higher on the educational ladder. They
were made to know that their future depended on the investments they made in the
children’s education today.

Some parents had to be referred to the school authorities as they still did not want
to lessen the burden on their wards. Their reasons were that they gave birth and therefore
the children must render services for them as and when they the parents want. Their
referral became necessary as they were not willing to comprise. Shertzer and Stone in
1976 defined the referral service as “the act of transferring an individual to another
person or agency either within or outside the school”.

The teachers were talked to. They were counseled and advised not to punish
pupils anyhow or use threat and all sorts of insults on them. They pupils were also not be
caned illegally. They could be punished if they went contrary to the rules and norms of
the school. The teachers were taken through massive counseling in order not to make the
school’s environment unbearable for the pupils. This is so because if that happens, it
would result in the pupils absenting themselves from school.

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 The leaders in the community were also counseled to create awareness for the
pupils of Assin Nyankomasi Primary to know the effects of absenteeism. They were
talked to help eradicate it by making sure that any school pupil found outside during
school hours was punished or parents of that child/children fined. This would deter the
pupils from absenting themselves from school.

The researcher did a follow up on the parents, pupils, teachers and the community
leaders and did interview some of them. From the follow up interviews and observations
it became evident that there was a lot of improvement.

Post-Intervention
This is the outcome of the action taken with the instruments used in finding out
that pupils of Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary 4 A have stopped absenting themselves
from school.

Absenteeism rate had gone down that is, it has been reduced to its lowest level
following the administration of interviews and questionnaires with the sudden change in
the trend of pupils attendance to school coupled with parents cooperativeness and the
community leaders involvements the researcher can confidently say that absenteeism
among pupils of Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary 4 A would be a thing of the past.

CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS
This chapter represents analysis of the data collected from the field from the
various methods used. This was done on primary four pupils of Assin Nyankomasi
Catholic Primary School. Out of the thirty-seven pupils in the classroom, fifteen of them
were selected. Eight teachers, twelve parents and five leaders in the community were also
interviewed.

Parents Interviewed
Table 1: This data is on whom provides children’s educational needs
Responses Number of parents Percentage (%)
Father 4 33.33
Mother 5 41.67
Both Parents 2 16.67
Relatives 1 8.33

Total 12 100

The table above clearly shows who provides pupils educational needs. The data
reveals that the twelve parents interviewed, 5 mothers representing 41.67% provided their

15
wards educational needs as against 4 fathers (33.33%) who also provided for their wards.
Two parents (16.67%) said that they both catered for their children’s educational needs.
Only one parent (8.33%) admitted that the child’s educational needs are provided by a
relative.
Table 2: Data on parents who faced difficulties in caring for their wards
Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 9 75
No 3 25

Total 12 100

With the data, it is clearly evident that some parents faced difficulties in caring for
their wards. It could be observed form the data that 8 parents (66.67%) interviewed
confirmed that they faced some difficulties in caring for their wards such as family size,
low income level and single parenting.

On the other hand, 4 parents (33.33%) said that they faced very little or no
difficulty. Those parents who faced difficulties led to the absenteeism of their wards from
school. They specified the cause of their difficulties to financial problems, large family
size, single parenting and low income. With these problems they had no means of
providing for the child/children feeding let alone their educational needs. This then
compelled them to stay away from school.

Table 3: Data on parents who related the pupils absenteeism to laziness

Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 9 75
No 3 25

Total 12 100
It could be seen that 9 parents (75%) related pupils absenteeism to laziness. 25%
representing 3 parents did not agree to the allegation that pupils absenteeism was not as a
result of their laziness

Table 4: Data on parents who think pupils absenteeism is due to peer influence
Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 7 58.33
No 5 41.67

Total 12 100

Table 4 shows that out of the 12 parents interviewed, 7 of them (58.33%) said the
pupils’ absenteeism was due to peer influence. 41.67% (5) did not agree to this assertion
but rather said it was their own laziness.

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Table 5: Data on parents who related pupils’ absenteeism to the school environment
Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 4 33.33
No 8 66.67

Total 12 100

From the table above, there is a clear indication that most parents interviewed did
not attributed pupils absenteeism to the school environment. Only 4 (33.33%) did agree
to the fact that the school’s environment was a contributing factor to pupils absenteeism
as opposed to 8 (66.67%) who did not see anything wrong with the school environment.
These parents were of the view that pupils absenteeism was more of laziness and peer
influence than the school’s environment.

Pupils Interviewed
Table 6: Pupils who absented themselves because of financial problem
Responses Number of pupil Percentages (%)
Yes 11 73.33
No 4 26.67

Total 15 100

From the table 11 pupils (73.33%) said that they absented themselves because of
financial problems. They said that their parents did not have money to cater for most of
their educational needs and so they had to go for firewood to sell before going to school.
They sometimes had to stay out of school when they are late.

4 pupils representing 26.67% were not in agreement to their absenteeism being

linked to financial problems.

Table 7: Pupils who related their absenteeism to the school environment

Responses Number of pupils Percentages (%)
Yes 10 66.67
No 5 33.33

Total 15 100
From the table, it could be noticed that 10 pupils representing 66.67% related
their absenteeism to the school environment. They said too much caning and illegal
punishment let pupils to lose interest in coming to school regularly.

33.33% (5) did not agree that it was the school environment that made them
absent themselves from school.

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Table 8: Pupils who are engaged in house chores in the mornings before going to
school
Responses Number of pupils Percentages (%)
Yes 11 73.33
No 4 26.67

Total 15 100

From the table above, 11 pupils that is, 73.33% confirmed that their parents
engaged them in house chores almost every morning before coming to school. They also
said that the work was too much such that it always eats into the school hours. They then
decide to stay away from school that day.

26.67% of the pupils interviewed, (4) did not attributed their absenteeism to the
fact that their parents engaged them with too many morning chores.

Teachers Interview
Table 9: Teachers who related their absenteeism to financial problems
Responses Number of teachers Percentages (%)
Yes 5 62.50
No 3 37.50

Total 8 100

The data shows that of the eight teachers interviewed, 5 teachers representing
62.50% related pupils absenteeism to financial problem. They said that due to pupil’s
parents’ low income and the large family size, most of them can not meet pupils
educational needs. They are therefore compelled to stay away when the school demands
that certain monies or stationery are brought. But 3 teachers (37.50%) did not support this
argument.

Table 10: Teachers who concluded that laziness was the cause of pupils absenteeism
Responses Number of teachers Percentages (%)
Yes 4 50
No 4 50

Total 8 100

The table reveals that 4 teachers representing 50% said that the pupils
absenteeism was due to laziness. The pupils are so lazy that they absent themselves from
school. They do not go to school frequently.

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 The remaining 50% said that the pupils absenteeism was not due to laziness but
financial problems faced by their parents.

Table 11: Teachers who linked absenteeism to the community

Responses Number of teachers Percentages (%)
Yes 5 62.50
No 3 37.50

Total 8 100

From the above table, 5 teachers (62.50%), confirmed that the community formed
part of pupils absenteeism. The community engaged pupils in commercial work like
selling water, bread and foodstuffs at the expense of taking them to school. They make
the pupils to absent themselves from school.

3 teachers representing 37.50% refuted the allegation and said it was due to
laziness.

Table 12: Teachers who linked absenteeism to the parents engaging pupils to morning
house chores before going to school
Responses Number of teachers Percentages (%)
Yes 3 37.50
No 5 62.50

Total 8 100
From the table, 3 teachers that is, 37.50% stated that some parents engaged their
wards in too many house chores in the morning before they go to school. This sometimes
makes them occupy through the early morning hours. They then decide to stay away from
school.

On the other hand, 5 teachers representing 62.50% refuted this allegation.

Community Interviewed
Table 13: Leaders who confirmed that some parents kept their wards from school
Responses Number of leaders Percentages (%)
Yes 3 60
No 2 40

Total 5 100

Five (5) leaders were interviewed in the community. Of these, 3 leaders

representing 60% stated that some parents kept their wards from school for domestic
work. When this happens, the children have to stay in the house and do all the work. This

19
meant that these pupils will not attend school. Only 2 of the leaders (40%) did not agree
to this allegation.

Table 14: Leaders who said pupils absenteeism was due to laziness
Responses Number of leaders Percentages (%)
Yes 3 60
No 2 40

Total 5 100

From table 13, 3 leaders representing 60% confirmed that pupils absenteeism was
due to their laziness. They felt so lazy that they did not go to school frequently. They
went anytime they felt like. But 2 of the leaders (40%) did not support that pupils
absenteeism was due mainly to laziness.

Questionnaire for parents

Table 15: Parents who confirmed that pupils’ absenteeism was due to laziness
Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 5 62.50
No 3 37.50

Total 8 100

From the above table, it could be seen that 5 parents representing 62.50%
concluded that pupils’ absenteeism was due to their laziness. They said that pupils were
so lazy that they could not go to school regularly.

On the other hand, 3 parents denoting 37.50% refuted the allegation and said it
was sometimes due to ill health.

Table 16: Parents who said pupils’ absenteeism was due to ill health
Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 6 75
No 2 25

Total 8 100

With table 16, 6 parents denoting 75% did attest to the fact that pupils’
absenteeism was as a result of ill health. They said their wards were sometimes not fit

20
and as such did stay away from school. On the other side of it 2 parents (25%) did not
attribute pupils’ absenteeism to ill health.

Table 17: Time parents said their wards slept

Responses (Time) Number of parents Percentages (%)
7pm 2 25
8pm 4 50
9pm 2 25

Total 8 100

It could be notified that 2 parents representing 25% confirmed that their wards
slept at 7pm. 4 parents representing 50% indicated that their wards slept at 8pm with 2
representing 25% saying 9pm.

Data on time parents made their wards slept is also a contributing factor to pupils’
absenteeism. This is because pupils slept late and so wake up late without ample time to
prepare early for school.

Questionnaire for pupils

Table 18: Data on pupils’ absenteeism due to ill health
Responses Number of pupils Percentages (%)
Yes 6 66.67
No 3 33.33

Total 9 100

Out of the fifteen pupils, nine of them were given the questionnaire to fill. 6
pupils representing 66.667% indicated that their ill health was a contributing factor to
their absenteeism. This is because they are almost all the time not fit to go to school. 3
pupils (33.33%) did attribute their absenteeism on the fact that they feel lazy to go to
school and not due to ill health.

Table 19: Data on whether pupils’ absenteeism was due to laziness

Responses Number of pupils Percentages (%)
Yes 7 77.78
No 2 23.22

Total 9 100

From the table, it could be clearly seen that 7 pupils representing 77.78% stated
that their absenteeism were due to their own laziness. They said laziness made them felt

21
weak in going to school. 2 pupils denoting 22.22% indicated that they did not absent
themselves from school because of their laziness.

Table 20: Data on whether pupils’ absenteeism was due to the school environment
Responses Number of pupils Percentages (%)
Yes 5 55.56
No 4 44.44

Total 9 100

The table above shows that 5 pupils representing 55.56% confirmed that the
school environment led to their absenteeism. They said that unnecessary caning and
illegal punishment deterred them from going to school. They feared that they might be
caned or punishment especially when they are late for school.

4 pupils denoting 44.44% said that it was not the school environment but certain
factors like laziness and/or ill health that makes them to absent themselves from school.

Teachers Questionnaire
Table 21: Data on whether pupils’ absenteeism was due to laziness
Responses Number of teachers Percentages (%)
Yes 5 62.50
No 3 37.50

Total 8 100

From the table, 5 teachers representing 62.50% indicated that the pupils’
absenteeism was due to their laziness. On the other hand, 3 teachers denoting 37.50%
said pupils’ absenteeism was not as a result of laziness.

Table 22: Data on whether pupils’ absenteeism was caused by ill health
Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 6 75
No 2 25

Total 8 100

From the table, 6 teachers representing 75% confirmed that pupils’ absenting
themselves from school was due to ill health that is, they were not always fit to go to
school. 2 of the teachers representing 25% were of the view that pupils’ absenting
themselves from school is rather attributed to laziness than ill health.

Table 23: Data on whether any activity distracted pupils’ attention from school

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 Responses Number of parents Percentages (%)
Yes 6 75
No 2 25

Total 8 100

From the table, 75% representing 6 teachers did agree that activities like film
show and video games distracted pupils’ attention from school. The film show takes
greater part of their night whilst the video games occupy them almost through the whole
day. These have negative effects on them like inability to do home work and house
chores at the right time. It also makes them perform poorly academically.

For 2 teachers representing 25%, pupils’ absenteeism is rather as a result of ill

health and/or laziness other than film shows and video games.

From the various tables, it could be seen that absenteeism is caused by the home,
school and the community.

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter represents the summary of the findings from the study. It also
provides conclusion draw from the study and offers suggestion and recommendations to
help curtail the problem of absenteeism among the pupils of Assin Nyankomasi Catholic
Primary School.

Summary
The purpose of the study was to find the causes of absenteeism among the pupils
of Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary School. The main findings from the data
collected were on pupils whose friends did not attend school. It was realized that most of
the pupils friends are school drop-outs hence they influence them to play truant.

The study further revealed that parents engaged their wards in commercial
activities that gave them money to support the family like selling of ice water, bread,
toffees and biscuits. These made the pupils to avoid school and thereby absenting
themselves which in effects leads to the high rate of absenteeism.

Also the findings on the issue of parents providing their wards with all the
necessary material were noticed. It was seen that most of the parents neglected this
parental responsibility. Pupils do not have pencils, pens, textbooks, exercise books and
school uniform. All these do not motivate pupils to go to school as they lack the basic
educational needs.

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 The study again revealed that some of the pupils had problems with their physical
health. The pupils were not too fit to be attending school. They were affected with one
illness or the other. This therefore makes them feel weak and not strong.

The administering of corporal punishment for the least offence got the pupils
sacred of coming to school. This makes them play truancy so as to avoid being punished.

Moreover, the methodology was on the population sample, mode of selection,

instruments used and the data analysis procedure. It exposed some of the problems
encountered during the course of data collection. It could be noticed that Assin
Nyankomasi was chosen for the study.

Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary was used in retrieving the information for
the data. Some pupils as well as teachers and parents were interviewed through sampling
procedure like simple and purposive random. Instruments like interview and
questionnaires were administered for pupils, teachers and parents to give out their
responses. It was structured in the close ended form of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers and the
open ended sought information from the respondents point of view.

Data obtained were coded according to various sections for analysis and results
were being tallied by converting them into percentages. These were therefore used to
analyze the data to make it easier for interpretation.

The analysis of data was on parent’s interview that is, data on who provided
children’s need and parents who faced difficulties in caring for their wards. Pupils were
interviewed on what made them to absent themselves from school. It was noticed here
that they were being engaged in house chores and commercial activities.

The teachers interviewed attributed the fact to pupils laziness and ill health. The
questionnaires administered indicated the time parents ward slept, their ill health and the
activities that distracted their attention from schooling like video centres, dance clubs and
video games.

All the responses were taken and converted into percentages to find the number of
people’s idea on the factors contributing to the problem of absenteeism. These findings
made it easier to address the situation and therefore eradicate it among the pupils.

Conclusion
Based on the critical analysis of the available data collected, it could be noticed
that the findings confirmed most of the research questions. For instance, the home forms
part in the promotion of absenteeism, poverty, unemployment and parents attitude
towards education. All these are seen to be real factors contributing to this tendency.
Poverty brings about parents inability to adequately cater for the children both at
home and in school. Teachers teaching and checking indiscipline should come down
since it causes more harm than good. Pupils who absent themselves without permission

24
are being flogged and threatened. These things deter them from attending school
frequently.

The community is a factor in engaging wards in commercial activities like selling

foodstuff. The home should be seen as a factor in promoting absenteeism and therefore
must be eradicated.

The methodology and data analysis makes it easier to find an antidote to the
problem. The interview and questionnaires paved way for one problem to be identified
and eradicated to help the pupils in the academic background and improve upon their
performance.

The mode of sample selection and population sample makes the study not to be
tedious, since all the pupils and teachers could be used.

The researcher suggests that pupils and parents must be taken through guidance
and counseling sessions for them to see the essence of education and its implication on
their wards’ development.

There is should be strong parents teachers relationship. If relationship between

teachers and parents is cordial, information about pupil’s behaviour will flow and this can
go a long way to check absenteeism.

The District Education Officers should map up strategies and visit schools more
often. They should also be meeting pupils and advice them on the need to be punctual to
school. This will go along way to help solve the problem of absenteeism among pupils of
Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary.

Recommendations
Based on the suggestions given by the researcher on the causes of absenteeism
among pupils of Assin Nyankomasi Catholic Primary L/A, it is recommended that the
school environment should be such that it will encourage pupils to always want to come
to school.

Bye laws pertaining to peer by opinion leaders should be passed so that if any
pupil falls victim, the pupil will be penalized.

Parents should not be engaging their wards in excessive work during both in the
evenings and early mornings during week days. This will help improve pupil’s academic
performance and make them want to go to school.

The school, parents and the community leaders should institute a law banning
pupils from entering video houses or any entertainment spots. Pupils should be banned
from attending wake-keepings. When these laws are implemented and forced, it will help
to minimize the problem of pupil’s absenting themselves from school.

25