Truancy arising from walking long distances by ECD learners in the Shamva district, Mashonaland Central province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Truancy is a complex and heterogeneous problem that results from many factors. These include in-school factors, peer influence, social and familial challenges, unfavourable weather patterns, long distances to school, lack of motivation, and many other variables relevant to the learner. Lack of interest in school activities is another cause of truant behaviour amongst ECD learners. Studies have been carried out on the causes of truant behaviours by ECD learners. Lethargic teaching styles contribute to learners’ truant behaviours due to boredom, created by incompetent teachers. Teachers, school heads, and parents must know their children's or learners' behavioural patterns. Teachers should be trained to recognise the learners’ behavioural patterns and devise strategies to deal with the arising challenges, since some difficulties trigger ECD learners to play truancy. Teachers should maintain good communication between themselves, learners, and parents, which will help avoid confrontations with learners. By stopping corporal punishment, learner school attendance will improve, and learners' performance will be enhanced. The school needs to provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning. This study adopts a pragmatist paradigm, a qualitative approach through a case study research design. Twenty teachers and twenty ECD learners were selected from four of the district's primary schools, and they were interviewed and observed for data collection. It was unearthed that ECD learners walking long distances to school is a complex and heterogeneous problem that can lead to truant behaviour. It has been recommended that learners must be taught and encouraged to report and individually shun anti-social behaviour like bullying, as these social ills significantly trigger truant behaviours among ECD learners. When an ECD learner is bullied, stressed, disturbed, nervous, harassed, annoyed, pissed off, or is worried, he or she can easily contemplate playing truant. Chronic truancy can effectively contribute to ECD learners dropping out of school altogether.