1. 1.0 Introduction
This paper is to fulfil the requirement of FIK 3042. This is the third assignment and I
have chosen “truancy” as my topic and two articles related to the particular topic.
2.0 Articles
Below are two related articles that I have chosen.
2.1 Title : Truancy: Poor Bahasa Malaysia skills the root case
Writer : Liong Kam Choong
Source : Internet website:
http://www.nst.com.my/letters-to-the-editors-poor-bahasa-malaysia-skills-
the-root-cause-1.70089
2.2 Title : Reducing truancy among students
Writer : Mr. A. Jeyraj
Source : Internet website:
http://www.ipohecho.com.my/v2/2012/reducing-truancy-among-students
3.0 The gist or main points of each articles
3.1 Article 1- Poor Bahasa Malaysia skills the root cause
There are two groups of truants, that is the international truants, who have ready
access to school, but choose to play truant. They are well endowed with schooling
facilities the anf come from a very well-financed family. Another group is the
uninternational truants who find difficult access school, particularly in rural and remote
areas. They come from a poor family and absent from school to help them. Another fsctor
is the transport where the nearest school is too far from their house. The main reason for
truancy is the lack of interest and commitment in studying and the cause is the students’
inadequate proficiency in the main medium of instruction which is Bahasa Malaysia
especially in secondary schools. They are totally lost in class when they can’t understand
the lessons taught. It will become a torture for them and theu ends up by dissapearing
from class. Urgent steps need to be taken to strenghten the proficiency of BM among
them. The vernacular school should have the same syllabus and UPSR BM papers as the

2. national schools. The catching-up of BM in secondary school is injustice for these
students which become the major cause of truancy. Enrolling students who lack of
interest in studying in vocational schools or in classes with vocational subjects in normal
classes has been cited as a way to arrest truancy. The poor command of BM is surely the
main reason the student cannot follow the theory part of the subjects which make them
loss interest in studies and choose to play truant.
3.2 Article 2- Reducing truancy among students.
The Education Department of Perak stated that many students are involved in truancy
with the ssame repeaters. The department conducts some activities and programmes to
help students refrain from truancy. It is a collaboration efforts from the police,
StateWelfare Department and other agencies. The programmes brings out creativity
among students and help teachers to ding ways to handle students. The police act on
compaintsreceived. They are very senstive in dealing with the students. The truant caught
are handed over to the schools. The parents are contacted and they have to deal with the
problems themselves as most of them usually do not want their children to be exposed to
public. All the primary and secondary schools in Perak have assigned a Police Relation
Officer with a rank of Corporal and above. He/ She will pay at least oncde a month visit
to the schools. He/ She works with the Principal and Parent Teachers Association to help
in handling the disciplinary problems and safety of the students. The cyber cafés are such
premises that the police asked the state government to review especially the licensing of
them. Should stricter condition be imposed, it would reduce the truancy problem. Last but
not least, the parents should play a vital role in ensuring their chidren attend school, even
extra classes by making spot checks. Parents should not put responsibilities on schools
only for it is a collective responsibility from parents, schools and police to discipline the
truants. Parents are responsible for the behaviour of their children, no matter how busy
they are.

3. 4.0 Reflection
There are many possible factors that cause truancy in schools such as family factors,
school factors, health and bad influences from friends and peers in school. Family
factors; for example. Some students do not get enough support and encouragement from
their parents. The students may also feel bored or disillusioned with school because his or
her educational needs are not met equally. There are also students who may be suffering
from health problems that they often skip schools while some other may faced bad
influences as part of pressures of growing up from their friends.
In Article 1 titled “Poor Bahasa Malaysia The Root Cause”, I agree with writer Liong
Kam Chong about the students from Chinese and Tamil schools who have great difficulty
in understanding the lessons especially in Bahasa Malaysia which is the main reason they
play truant. As for these problems, I recommend the schools should use a reward system,
that gives the student a tangible reward for the student who use the most Bahasa Malaysia
in school. Teachers will find ways to keep the student from failure at all costs. Never
pinnalised their mistakes but use them as encouragement. The schools are also
encouraged to conduct more efficient programmes in Bahasa Malaysia like the Bahasa
Malaysia week or DJ Corner everyday during recess where students translate every
information in Bahasa Malaysia. Teachers have to create a full involvement from the
students. The counsellors in school should be of a great help to the students who have
difficulties in Bahasa Malaysia. From my experience, the successful CEE programme
(Create English Environment) in schools can be modified into CBME (Create Bahasa
Malaysia Environment) where only Bahasa Malaysia is used in certain areas in school.
With these, it is hopeful the students will their grades and understand the lesson well and
feel motivated to attend school. Many students who have failing grades see no point in
returning to school once they have failed. Increase responsibility in the student by giving
extra time to make up their weak grades in Bahasa Malaysia. This can be done after
school (with parents’ permission), or perhaps during a class that the student is not
required to do a lot of work, i.e. PE and Art Lesson.

4. Is truancy a major problem? Yes, according to various studies. Students who are not in
school are not learning or progressing. According to Mr. A.Jeyaraj in his article,
“Reducing Truancy among Students” the parents should monitor their children’s
activities because parents are responsible for the behaviour of their children. I certainly
agree in this matter because parents play the fundamental role in the education of their
children. If the parents try and spend more time lovingly with their children, give them
full support in what they do and praised their hardwork, I think this can reduce truancy
among students. Basically, a student's family plays an important role in moulding their
lifestyle. When a child has less communication with their parents and acquired some
negative friendships, they start to do something brutal in order to fulfill their leisure.
Parents should spend more time with their children and be able to talk to them as friends.
I strongly believe that parents have all the power or ability to change a problematic
child's behavior. This is because, parents are the designers of children, who are like a
plain white cloth in childhood. In my opinion, parents should be blamed for students'
misbehavior and disciplinary problems in school.Children who are neglected and longing
for parent's love started to involve in indisciplinary problems such as gangsterism,
bullying and truancy in order to attract their parents' attention. They start to mingle up
with bad group of students where they feel free.
Throughout school districts there must be a zero tolerance towards condoning truant
students. In my knowledge, some schools found out that linking truancy to such items
such as student’s grades and School Leaving Certificate can help reduce the truancy
problem. The Disciplinary Board in schools can order a truant to attend counseling or to
attend an educational program designed for him or her. Mentoring schmes have been
shown to have a positive effect on attendance, while involvement in sport, music or
drama can transform a reluctant pupils’s attitude to school. In my experience, some
schools carry out a regular spot-checks in areas where students who skip lessons might
take refuge. The school make connections with the police of their schools or local
shopkeepers, cyber centres and departmental stores the details of their school badge and
uniforms, photographs of regular truants and the school number to call. If they do report a
truant, the school will respond at once. The parents will be informed and asked to

5. participate in the local parenting education programmes. When part of a comprehensive
anti-truancy initiative, police sweeps of neighbourhood in which truant youth are often
found can prove dramatically effective.
I strongly believe that teachers play a vital role in students' misbehaviour and
disciplinary problems. Students spending most of their time in both school and home. So,
apart parents its teachers' responsibility to guide the kids into right path. Principle should
provide additional professional developments for teachers so they will have knowledge
how to use their time effectively and efficiently to tackle the students. The Principle
should also provide a conducive school environment to all students learning. They should
instil good moral values during lessons. If the class is interesting and if they like the
teacher for sure students won't cut the class and wondering outside school during class
hour. In a research made by a group of researches from Faculty of Education,UTM, most
responders agree that the teachers kindness gave the student chances to share their
problems while giving them too much homework causing them to absent. They also agree
that truancy at school covered most of the students discipline problem.
A detailed study on truancy in schools is carried out by the Education Ministry,
Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation and University Malaya this year, The Education
deputy minister Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong said that truancy is still the main factor for
disciplinary problems in schools. He further informed that the ministry would enforce the
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to resolve disciplinary problems in schools in seven
days. Under the procedure, the State Education Department, District Education Office
and schools must resolve each problem in the set timeframe. A disciplinary problem must
be reported to the ministry in one day, without any delays. A Disciplinary Operations
Room would also be set up at the ministerial level to process and analyse the situation
every week. I personally think if this procedure is carried out efficiently, the problems of
truancy can be reduced.

6. References:
1. magazine article/ TES Newpaper/ 24 January, 2003, /Steven Hastings
2. http://www.mjpsychiatry.org/index.php/mjp/article/viewFile/62/60
3. http://www.thesundaily.my/news/269417
4. http://www.eurojournals.com
5. http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/Truancy/index.html
4.0 Closure
Truancy is the first sign of trouble; the first indicator that a young person is giving up and
losing his or her way. When young people start skipping school, they are telling their
parents, school officials and the community at large that they are in trouble and need our
help if they are to keep moving forward in life.
Academic problems, mental health issues, family dynamics, and social problems can
contribute heavily to student absenteeism. With proper intervention and support,
students’ school attendance and achievement can improve dramatically.
Research data tells us that students who become truant and eventually drop out of school
put themselves at a long term disadvantage in becoming productive citizens. In addition,
high school dropouts who are employed earn much lower salaries. Students who become
truant and eventually drop out of high school too often set themselves up for a life of
struggle.
Truancy is a gateway to crime. High rates of truancy are linked to high daytime burglary
rates and high vandalism. Truancy prevention efforts should be a part of any community
policing effort to prevent crime before it happens.