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Bonus to avoid school absenteeism Opinion
February 27, 2024

Bonus to avoid school absenteeism

Mr. Director, This week, the mayor of Renca announced the delivery of a bonus to all pre-kindergarten children who have 95% attendance between March and May in the schools of his commune, as a radical way to face the serious problem of school absenteeism. All efforts to keep students in class are welcome. We hope that the voucher will be…
Time to change beliefs Opinion
October 28, 2023

Time to change beliefs

Many school communities hope that attendance will improve in the last school term. However, figures from previous years show that this is not always the case, and that absences in this period may even worsen. What to do? The results of the 1st Survey of Beliefs on School Absenteeism carried out by Fundación Presente shed some light on this issue.…
The challenge of school attendance post Covid Opinion
September 28, 2023

The challenge of school attendance post Covid

Recovering our pre-pandemic attendance levels has proven to be a much more complex challenge than expected, and not only in our country. A few days ago, The Economist commented that, in the United States, Australia and England, improvements are far below expectations. The same article stated that one of the most plausible explanations is that, after having experienced distance learning,…
And classes were suspended Opinion
June 29, 2023

And classes were suspended

Mr. Director: Winter began and with it came the long awaited and much needed rains. However, as much as we were expecting them, were we able to prepare adequately? Were the rainwater drains cleared to avoid flooding? Did we secure the roofs of the schools to avoid leaks in the classrooms? Apparently not. As so often, too late. Dozens of…
What about Fridays? Opinion
May 28, 2023

What about Fridays?

In Chile there is a widespread belief that illness and student vulnerability are the main reasons for school absenteeism. However, when we review the attendance data of 16 thousand students in the country, we see a pattern that calls our attention: in all of the analyzed schools and at all levels of education, Friday is the day with the lowest…
Let’s not celebrate in advance Opinion
April 9, 2023

Let’s not celebrate in advance

Mr. Director: Last Friday, the Minister of Education celebrated the four-point increase in average attendance in March compared to the same month last year, reaching 89%. It is always great news that students are going to class and that is why we celebrate this increase. However, it is important to be clear that this March attendance figure, if maintained for…
Truancy Opinion
March 30, 2023

Truancy

In the last 4 years, schoolchildren have missed 97 weeks of classes; we are talking about two and a half years of schooling. The Government is working on an educational reactivation plan, but if children and young people do not attend classes, such plan will have no impact. Evidence shows that students with chronic absenteeism, that is, those who miss…
Let’s play our cards in March Opinion
March 28, 2023

Let’s play our cards in March

After 3 years of pandemic, there is no time to lose. Children MUST go to school, since in the last 4 years they have had 97 weeks of missed classes, we are talking about 24 months that correspond to two and a half years of schooling. Although the government is working on an Educational Reactivation Plan, if children and young…