Truants in MV: Number of absentees jumps to record high!

Truants in MV: Number of absentees jumps to record high!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the current survey on truancy shows alarming figures. In the 2024/2025 school year, the number of school absentees from general education schools rose to 446. A total of 506 cases were recorded including vocational training institutions. This corresponds to 0.29 percent of the total number of students, which this year is 164,900 students at 562 general schools and 36,700 at 60 vocational schools. An increase compared to the previous year, when around 372 cases were identified in general schools - a development that concerns many parents and teachers. This information is provided by n-tv, which points out that the survey specifically focuses on cases where a report of absence from school was sent to the school authorities.

A number of factors can lead to this school absenteeism. Psychological stress, family crises and excessive demands at school are frequently cited causes. Additionally, some students lack a sense of belonging, which can severely impact their motivation to attend school regularly. The consequences of truancy are serious: students miss important learning content, lose touch with their classmates and, in the worst case, risk failing to graduate from school.

Measures against school absenteeism

The state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has decided to take greater action against the phenomenon of truancy. For every lesson, teachers are now obliged to check attendance and accurately document absences. In addition, a uniform procedure was introduced, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Child Care. The guidelines, which are based on the state school law, are intended to promote cooperation with parents and support preventive measures.

The information also provided by Education-mv shows that the focus is particularly on unexcused absences, while measures to document and support students are to be further expanded. The evaluation of the guidelines has been carried out continuously since the 2017/2018 school year in order to check the effectiveness of the measures.

Parent involvement and school collaboration

An important aspect in the fight against absenteeism is cooperation with parents. The Hamburg project “Every School Day Counts” emphasizes how important it is to actively involve parents in school life. This is about building emotional bridges and informing parents about school events. A good bond between school and home can reduce the risk of school absenteeism and ensures that more parents are involved and interested in their children's school matters. Statistics show that over 40 percent of students say their parents know about their truancy. Unfortunately, 10 percent of parents apologize for their children's absence for reasons that are not legitimate.

However, the challenges increase in lower secondary school, where parents' influence on young people's academic behavior decreases. Therefore, targeted measures are necessary here, such as improving the school climate, involving students in everyday school life and promptly monitoring absences. Teachers are called upon to recognize signs of absenteeism early on, such as frequent tardiness or indifference, and to react quickly.

School absenteeism is a complex problem that not only affects students, but also poses challenges for the entire school community. This makes it all the more important that everyone involved – teachers, parents and school authorities – pull together and find solutions that get children back to school.