School swimmers in MV: Number of absenteeists jumps at record high!

School swimmers in MV: Number of absenteeists jumps at record high!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the current survey on school tails shows alarming numbers. In the school year 2024/2025, the number of school -leaving artists in general education schools rose to 446. A total of 506 cases, including the vocational training institutions, were recorded. This corresponds to 0.29 percent of the total number of students, which is 164,900 students at 562 general education schools and 36,700 at 60 vocational schools. An increase compared to the previous year, when around 372 cases were found in general education schools - a development that many parents and teachers concerned. This information provides N-TV, which indicates that the survey sets out specifically for cases where a school failure report was sent to the school authority.

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 increasingly act against the phenomenon of school tail. For each lesson, the teachers are now obliged to check the presence and to document absenteeism. In addition, a uniform procedure was introduced, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Daycare. The guideline based on the school law for the country is intended to promote cooperation with parents and support preventive measures.

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

Parents' participation and school cooperation

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 secondary level I, where the influence of parents decreases on the school behavior of the young people. Therefore, targeted measures are necessary, such as improving the school climate, the inclusion of the students in everyday school life and a timely monitoring of absenteeism. Teachers are called up, signs of absenteeism, such as frequent delays or indifference, to recognize early and react quickly.

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