Learner Absenteeism: a Case Study of Rural Primary Schools in Kavango East Katanga Marcelius Mudumbi*

Journal of Namibian Studies, 22 (2017): 59 – 80 ISSN: 2197-5523 (online) Learner absenteeism: A case study of rural primary schools in Kavango East Katanga Marcelius Mudumbi* Abstract The article explores classroom challenges experienced by rural primary school teachers in the Kavango East region of Namibia when learners are absent from school and the strategies used to reduce learner absenteeism. It employs a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews as data collection method. Literature indicates that learner absenteeism is more of a problem in rural schools than in urban schools. Managing learner performance when there is a high rate of absenteeism is a problem in teaching and learning, and is a hindrance to quality education. This article draws on ethic of care theory to explain the experience of the teachers. Interviews were carried out at four rural primary schools in Kavango East with two teachers from each school. The findings have implications for building a teacher-learner relationship that is based on caring for the learner’s education needs and well-being in general. Introduction Learner absenteeism in rural primary schools has become an issue of concern to researchers locally and internationally. A study carried out in Namibia by Southern and East African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality suggests that absenteeism among Grade 6 learners was as high as 50%. 1 In addition, another report by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture indicates a learner absenteeism rate of 40% at national level. 2 Irene Hoaes maintains that about 109 students from a total of 519 at Oshikoto secondary school in Oshikoto region in Namibia were not in the classroom at the beginning of the second school term. 3 By 1995 7% of school-aged children were still not enrolled in schools and thus were denied their right to education. These reports show a general concern for poor school attendance in Namibia which may have * Katanga Marcelius Mudumbi obtained his Masters of Education in the Department of Education Management & Policy Studies at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He has researched comprehensively on learner absenteeism in rural primary schools in Kavango East, focusing on challenges faced by teachers when learners are absent from the classroom and strategies to reduce learner absenteeism. E-mail: [email protected] 1 Demus Makuwa, The SACMEQ II Project in Namibia: A Study of the Conditions of Schooling, Namibia Working Report , National, Harare, SACMEQ / Namibia, Ministry of Basic Education, 2005. 2 Ministry of Education of Namibia, Annual Report of 1995-2005 , Windhoek, Government Printers, 2007. 3 Irene Hoaes, , “Namibia: Learners Absenteeism out of Control”, New Era , 24 June 2010. Copyright © 2017 Otjivanda Presse.Essen ISSN 1863-5954 (print) ISSN 2197-5523 (online) consequences for future generations. Christopher Kearney asserts that learner absenteeism is also a major factor in learners drooping out of school and that it influences the social, economic and health status of learners in later life. 4 The Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture introduced the Education Act of 2001 to accommodate marginalized children and to ensure that they could exercise their rights to education. 5 Furthermore, in order to improve school attendance, the Ministry of Education also introduced the Namibia National Standard and Performance Indicators (NSPI) which prescribed that a school should establish learner attendance rate of 97% or better. In addition, a school feeding programme and a mobile school for Ovahimba children were introduced. 6 Literature on learner absenteeism reveals that children may be withdrawn from school by parents to boost the family income by involving them in cheap labour at an early age. 7 Ming Zhang is of the opinion that poor school attendance is associated with poverty and that there tend to be warning signs in the primary school phase of the affected learner’s education. Once absenteeism is entrenched it becomes difficult for learners to attend school regularly – even if the parent’s poverty is alleviated. 8 There are many factors contributing to learner absenteeism and schools need to find ways of dealing with the problem. 9 Regular school attendance gives learners an opportunity to work with their teachers and their peers, facilitates networking important and contributes to improved learner performance. Kearney argued that students who are motivated or praised improve their academic performance and attendance which in turn boost their self-esteem, commitment to school and self-confidence. In addition, further research examines the challenges faced by teachers in rural nomadic groups as parents only send their children to attend school periodically. While some of the learners do not attend school because they have to assist with family chores, others play truant because of the long distances they have to walk to school. 10 Many of the factors that lead to learner absenteeism cannot be easily eliminated. Children need food and, at times, parents need a helping hand to provide food for the 4 Christopher A. Kearney, “An interdisciplinary model of school absenteeism in youth to inform professional practice and public policy”, Educational Psychology Review , 20, 2008: 257-282. 5 Erika von Wietersheim, Educationally Marginalized Children in Namibia: An Inventory of Programs, Interventions and Data , UNICEF/Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture (MBESC), 2002. <http://www.streetchildrenresources.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/educationally-marginalised- namibia.pdf> [accessed November 22, 2017]; 6 Ministry of Education of Namibia, Education Management Information System of Ministry of Education , Windhoek, Government Printers, 2008. 7 Martell Lee Teasley, “Absenteeism and truancy. Risk, protection and best practices implication for school social workers”, Children and Schools , 26 (2), 2004: 117-128. 8 Ming Zhang, “Links between school absenteeism and child poverty”, Pastoral Care in Education , 21, 2003: 10-17. 9 Ken Reid, “The search for solutions to truancy and other forms of school absenteeism”, Pastoral Care in Education , 21 (1), 2003: 3-9. 10 Kearney, “Interdisciplinary model”; Teasley, “Absenteeism and truancy”. 60 family. Assuming that there is no simple solution to the problem, the question arises as to how teachers deal with the management of absenteeism and what factors contribute to the problem in the classroom situation. Irregular school attendance attracted this researcher because if the factors that contribute to learner’s absenteeism are identified, one will have a starting point for developing programmes to address the problem. This article is based on the assumption that while there is a policy on learner access to education, there should be a system in place for monitoring school attendance in order to control learner absenteeism. 11 The test sample consists of rural primary schools in the Kavango region of Namibia. Most learners from these schools are required to walk long distances to school and must overcome adverse seasonal factors such as rain, cold weather which often prevent regular attendance. Teachers cannot change weather conditions, so how do they manage the learners’ school attendance during rainy season? The management of learner’s absenteeism is not merely a process of placing a tick next to the names of learners who are present at school but should be based on a system of monitoring and caring. Parents can participate through attending meetings, checking homework and monitoring their children’s school attendance. The partnership relationship between the home and the school means the training of school staff members, especially those in management positions, to deal with monitoring and managing learner absenteeism is a matter of urgency. However, absenteeism means learners fall behind in their studies and may thus lack basic competencies. Furthermore, regular attendance may reduce school dropout rates and schools have an important role to play in moulding learner behaviour. 12 A collaborative relationship between principals, head teachers, school board members and the community at large is necessary to address the problem. Children have a right to basic education and to food and clean water. What happens then if children have to forego the right to education and secure food and water? Failing to herd their cattle may rob them of their livelihood. Education does not fill the stomach and children can only attend school if they have enough to eat. The use of incentives can help reduce learner absenteeism, which is also a problem in other parts of the world with better-functioning schooling systems. In such systems funds are available to record, track, observe and control learner absenteeism. Countries such as the UK and the USA, use an attendance document to this end. Namibia uses the class register as an official document for monitoring student attendance and absenteeism. However, there are few studies on learner absenteeism in less developed countries. The intervention used in urban and city schools when monitoring school attendance may not be relevant in a rural primary school context where learners are often absent due to circumstances beyond their control. This implies that rural primary 11 Keith Mumba Sanzila, Environmental Factors Influencing Learner’s Absenteeism in Six Schools in the Kavango Region, Namibia , unpubl. M.Ed. half thesis, Grahamstown, Rhodes University, 2011. 12 Kearney, “Interdisciplinary model”; Reid, “Search for solutions”;

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