Factors contributing to learner absenteeism in Lesotho secondary schools

Abstract

Learners in Lesotho are obliged to attend school as stipulated by the Ministry of Education and Training. Attendance must be regular for them to attain quality education. Bronfenbrenner`s bio-ecologica ltheory of human development is used as a lens in this study which investigated factors contributing to learner absenteeism in Lesotho Secondary Schools. As qualitative study, this study used Semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussions and formal documents to collect data, while thematic data analysis was employed to analyze data. The findings revealed that there are a number of factors contributing to learner absenteeism in Lesotho Secondary Schools. These are lack of support from parents, learners hiding in rented houses, boys and girls who are engaged in different activities at home, influence from neighborhood, initiation schools and lack discipline. Furthermore, this study revealed that parents curb absenteeism by dropping their children at school, liaising with class teachers and co-working with parents nearest to school. Talking to learners, calling parents to school to discuss children`s problems and sometimes use of corporal punishment are some of the measures employed by school to curb absenteeism. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Training should strengthen measurement to combat learner absenteeism and develop policies on school attendance to deal with absenteeism in schools and ease the work of teachers.