Written by: Sarah
Edited by: Noah
Visual by: Alina
A prevalent surge of absences and tardies amongst high school students within the past year has led to the question: Is there a nonattendance epidemic in ISM? The causes, ranging from study sessions to cases of senioritis, have raised concerns from teachers, administrators, and principals. However, within the student population, there is little concern for the gravity of the situation or whether the cultivation of a skipping culture is even an issue. As skipping classes gradually becomes a widely accepted behavior, the HS office is struggling more to prevent such a culture from inevitably becoming the norm.
The official consequence of having eight or more absences per class in a semester is losing credits. However, in the four years of our HS office coordinator’s career, not a single student has actually lost credits.
Due to the effects of the pandemic, ISM has remained quite lenient and understanding towards excused absences; however, Ms. Angel suggests that the attendance policy is increasingly expected to become stricter.
One proposition being made by the administration is to record all absences and tardies on student report cards in hopes of reducing the growing numbers. The concern for students is that their attendance records would then be sent to admission officers during the college application process. “It’s all still up in the air, but that’s one avenue that they’re looking at in order to avoid this issue,” shared Ms. Angel. The admin is continuing discussions on how to best deter students from incurring absences.
However, according to Ms Angel, the main culprit behind extended periods of nonattendance is illness. A new policy such as mentioned previously would primarily affect students with a medical diagnosis, prolonged illness, mental health condition, or unexpected family emergency.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Ms. Angel commented. She added, “If it’s there, then the students will be really cautious of their absences and tardies, but on the other hand, how would you support those who have issues? Because it’s also unfair to them”. There are also scenarios where students skip school due to sports tournaments, university entrance exams, or transferring to another country, making the whole reporting process extremely difficult and messy.
On the other hand, teachers have observed a growing number of students skipping their classes and faking sickness to prepare for an upcoming assessment or catch up on another subject. In a faculty meeting in mid-February, Mr. Birch affirmed that the high school office is trying its best to create a better system for this issue. At the start of the second semester, the administration had tried a new strike system, wherein students who had obtained three tardies within one week were obligated to serve lunch detention with Ms. Thompson. However, Ms. Angel reports that the students who earned lunch detention on more than one occasion did not seem deterred.
Perhaps the solution to this issue lies in looking outside Manila and implementing strategies that work at other IASAS schools. For example, next year’s principal from International School Bangkok (ISB) may bring systems that can be effectively implemented and applicable here. Either way, Ms. Angel points out that time and time again, it comes down to the students prioritizing, having self-discipline, and working on their time management.
Aashna (12) takes the full IB and is a two-season athlete without ever having skipped one of her classes. “I think personally, time-blocking helps the most”, she said. “So using digital calendars, or you can use physical ones too where you put out time to do work, relax, and study,” she advised. The key to balancing school and social life for her lies in scheduling, staying organized, and not leaving things to the last minute.
Despite successfully balancing all her classes, Aashna recognizes that a skipping culture at ISM exists. “It’s not like they’re doing it to hang out with friends,” she remarked. She added that they are doing it to study, showing how skipping culture results from students feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work they have.
The frequent number and prevalence of absences are becoming a perpetual concern. Thus, ensuring students have a support system and proper organization may alleviate the catching-up cycle that cultivates this culture in the first place. On the other hand, by rethinking the assessment system, teachers could attenuate the stress that overwhelms many of their students. More often than not, students are preparing every week for an upcoming assessment from one or more of their six classes. Perhaps, by incorporating midterms at the end of semester one in addition to finals, students would have fewer summative tests and more formative practice, thus mitigating the pressure of keeping up in every one of their classes.
Despite the growing skipping culture at ISM, a good percentage of students can stay on track with their studies and attendance records. In the end, every student is fully capable of maintaining healthy grades and attendance; it just comes down to staying organized and keeping a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
