Who are the school truants?

Across OECD countries, 18% of students skipped classes at least once in the two weeks

prior to the PISA test, and 15% of students skipped a day of school or more over

the same period.

Few students in high-performing school systems skip classes or days of school.

For students in OECD countries, skipping classes is associated with a 32-point lower

score in mathematics, while skipping days of school is associated with a 52-point

lower score.

 

Truancy is observed among all students, whether advantaged or disadvantaged.

  

 

                          

 

Results from PISA 2012 show that playing truant is negatively

associated with student performance. Results also show that students are less

likely to play truant when they are engaged with school. Parents and teachers

can nurture students’ engagement with and at school by holding high expectations

for their children/students and by being more engaged, themselves, in their

children’s/students’ lives.