A STUDY OF THE PROBLEM OF TRUANCY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SOME SELECTED SCHOOLS IN ONDO WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

            It has been observed that a number of students in institutions of learning are truant. They become truant in order to engage in activities which are neither under the control of the home nor of the school. To defend himself or herself. The truant decoys his parents and teachers and frequent truancy may lead to vagrancy. Truancy is more a proof of the inadequacy our present educational system than an evidence of any propensity to crime.

            It is a system, which attaches little importance to individuality. The ways in which children exhibit their truancy are many. An example can be cited in Irele in Ondo state where students usually go to the bush to search for snails, killing rabbits and collecting fruits, going to hidden places without any purpose. Some finds their way to the rivers to swim while others engage in petty jobs to get money for buying snacks, minerals, ice cream etc some even engage in secrete love that always makes them to leave the school premises. There are some students who cannot bear or remain in the corrective atmosphere at home or in the school such students will have to explore other places to relax and satisfy their curiosity. Obviously, such students will truant in the school. A truant can also be described as the person that stays away from school without good reasons. He or she is irregular at school attendance for he finds other places more attractive than that school and all. It stands for truancy is one of the offences which students in institutions of learning commit. From research work carried out it was discovered that truancy is of varying degree in institutions of learning and it is comparatively greater in the secondary schools than the high institutions of learning.