Culture of absenteeism: an investigation into the causes of persistent student absenteeism

Persistent absenteeism in inner city secondary schools in Toronto is a worrying development that has profound implications not only for the Canadian educational system, but the country as a whole. Currently a disproportionate amount of disadvantaged adolescents are not completing secondary education, and absenteeism has been shown to be a precursor of this development. This critically orientated research employed a qualitative case study to investigate how absenteeism operates :in an inner city secondary school in Toronto. The study utilized the opinions and experiences of three students and two educators in hope of delineating some possible solutions to the persistent absenteeism dilemma. The data highlights the importance of training and hiring culturally sensitive educators who can aid struggling students in graduating from high school. What is also needed is the creation of alternative schools that are designed to work with marginalized youths who may have life conditions that bar them from graduation.