When a student misses school consistently, the first reaction from most educators and school administrators is often frustration or disappointment.

It feels like the learner is giving up on their future, disengaging from something designed to help them.  

Yet, when we pause and truly consider what chronic absenteeism represents, we begin to see it not as a symptom of a child’s failure, but as a distress signal. Students are not failing school; school, in many ways, is failing them. 

Chronic absenteeism cannot be solved by lectures or threats. These responses assume that students are simply lazy, rebellious, or indifferent. In truth, children and teenagers rarely act out of apathy.

When they miss school repeatedly, something else is usually at play.  

Maybe it’s a broken home situation, or they’re experiencing bullying that goes unchecked. Perhaps they’re struggling academically and feel too ashamed to face another day of failure.  

Some are dealing with mental health issues—anxiety, depression, trauma—that no adult has stopped long enough to notice. For others, it could be a matter of basic needs not being met: hunger, lack of transportation, or caring for younger siblings while parents try to earn a living. Every absence has a story behind it. 

Safe spaces for learners 

One of the most damaging things schools can do is treat absenteeism purely as a disciplinary problem. 

We issue warning letters, send text alerts, call parents in for meetings, and sometimes even threaten police action or expulsion.  

But you cannot punish a child for feeling safe. You cannot lecture a hungry child into learning.  

The danger with such a rigid response is that it ignores the human reality behind the data.  

The child gets labelled “problematic” and eventually internalises that identity. Soon, they no longer see school as a place of growth or hope – it becomes a place of fear, shame, or irrelevance. 

What schools need to do is reframe the conversation. When a student misses school regularly, our first question should not be “What is wrong with you?” but “What happened to you?”  

That shift in language makes a world of difference. It changes how we engage with the student and their family. It opens doors for trust, compassion, and genuine problem-solving. 

Schools must invest in relationships. Every student should be known by name and story.  

They should be able to point to at least one adult on campus who cares deeply about their well-being, not just their grades. When students feel emotionally connected to school, their attendance improves naturally. That connection becomes the rope that pulls them through hard days.  

Building such relationships takes time, effort, and intentionality, but it is the foundation of any effective learning community. 

Parents, too, must be brought into the fold, not as antagonists but as partners. Most parents want the best for their children, but some are overwhelmed, misinformed, or dealing with circumstances beyond their control.  

Structural barriers 

School leaders must find non-threatening ways to reach out—home visits, personalised calls, parent support groups—and create a space where families feel listened to, not judged.  

When schools become allies in the family’s struggle rather than another source of pressure, change begins to take root. 

A hard truth is that many students don’t come to school because they don’t see the point. They are bored, unchallenged, or uninspired.  

School feels disconnected from their dreams and realities. To reverse absenteeism, schools must rethink how they teach and what they teach.

Are we offering subjects and activities that students care about?  

Do we honour their cultures, experiences, and identities in our curriculum? Do they feel seen in the books they read, the examples we give, and the opportunities we offer?  

Engagement must go beyond academics. Sports, music, mentorship, clubs, leadership programs—these are the glue that holds many students in school.  

When students feel that school is a place where they can shine, they find reasons to come back even when life is hard. 

Moreover, schools must identify and address structural barriers. Are students missing school because they lack uniforms, transportation, or lunch? Can the school link them to local services or NGOs that provide support?  

Can peer mentoring programmes be used to re-engage those slipping away? Solutions don’t have to be expensive, but they must be human-centred. 

Early intervention is also crucial. Waiting until a student has missed 20 days is too late.  

Teachers and administrators should monitor attendance weekly, spot patterns early, and reach out before disengagement becomes entrenched.  

A simple check-in after two or three absences can signal to the student that someone cares and is paying attention. 

Ultimately, chronic absenteeism is not just a policy issue—it is a moral one. If education is truly the great equaliser, then we must fight for every learner to have a fair shot.

This fight will not be won with punishments or policies alone. It will be won through empathy, connection, and a collective commitment to creating schools that are not just places of instruction, but places of belonging. 

When a student doesn’t show up, let it ring as a bell—not of rebellion, but of need.  

Let that empty seat challenge us to do better, not just for the sake of performance metrics, but for the life on the other side of that desk. 

The writer teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub County