Student attendance is an issue for some kid at almost every school at virtually every level.  Some schools even employ a truancy officer whose sole purpose is to maintain attendance records and follow up with students who are chronically absent or late for school.  Teachers are hounded about their attendance records by the administration and occassionally this information is used in a courtroom setting against the parents.

So what's the big deal?  Why aren't kids coming to school like they ought?  And why aren't parents being more thorough in their duties, insuring that their students get on the bus everyday?  Well, there are many, many explanations for this trend.  No two are alike.  Some families don't value education and so choose not to send their kids unless it is conveneint for them.   Others feel they have more pressing needs, like the next big sale at Wal-Mart.  Still others struggle with real issues, like illness, bullying, or learning disabilities that make school so uncomfortable that they would rather face the legal penalties for not attending than suffer through the experience on a daily basis.

What's a school to do about it?  Certainly, this is a case by case decision.  However, there is no excuse, in this age of technology, for students to go without learning.  Even the kids who don't have the financial resources ought to be provided with a computer and internet connection so that they may further their education.  Online learning is a great solution to the truancy problem and it may actually help some desperate families in the long run, too.  Attendance isn't everything but education is.  Kids need to keep on learning, no matter what.