Thought for the Week

Truancy: Is it a waste or is it worth it?


It is amazing to think that in this world in many countries children never know the inside of a classroom or learn to read a book, yet in America we actually spend millions nationally on forcing children to attend school. I was always familiar with the term truancy, but never really understood what a truancy case fully was until I started working in the juvenile justice system. From start to finish the cost to file a truancy case and see the case out either until the child goes back to school or until they are old enough to dropout legally cost approximately $6,000 dollars. Now don't get me wrong I value education just as much as the next person, I actually wrote two years worth of research on the impact that those that do not graduate have on society, but I will always stand in strong opposition against any law that ultimately protects people from themselves. To give you an estimate on a weekly basis I see ten or more truants coming into the facility I work at. Most of these kids are older 16-17 years old and have no intention what so ever of returning to school after they leave jail on a 45 day sentence. I don't think it takes any advanced amount of intelligence to do the math and see how much the schools/state/etc are spending on forcing children to go to school while teachers face overcrowding and constant threats of layoff's. Hmmm....... I wish I had the answer to this one.

So I ask myself is truancy as waste or is it worth it?