The Penalty for Missing Classes

張貼日期：Jul 04, 2014 1:37:25 PM

Vicky Chen

If there is no penalty for absence, will you go to school, or not? This is a common question that is often discussed at school. Students often wonder if they would be punished for the missing classes, but they usually get no answers from schools. In my opinion, students should be penalized for missing classes for three reasons.

The first benefit of penalizing for missing classes is that students are likely to get better grades. Teachers who have a wealth of knowledge about particular subjects can teach students lots of useful information and make it understood clearly. Therefore, students who attend classes would get good grades more easily than those who do not attend the class.

Secondly, students who have poor attendance would influence the progress of the class. Once many students do not come to the class, teachers would have to choose another time for making up the missed lessons. Then the progress of the courses would be delayed! Studies show that “students’ absence” is the top on the list that bothers most teachers. If students are not allowed to cut classes, the teachers are likely to follow the schedule to teach the lessons.

Finally, schools can ensure students’ learning through compulsory attendance. In Taiwan, most private universities include a system that states clearly about the penalties for missing classes. One of the reasons why they make an announcement is because all of the students have already paid the tuition and schools have to ensure students’ studying right.

People who disagree with punishment for absences say that students have the right to decide whether they go to classes or not. This point has some merits on the surface. However, as a matter of fact, school is a place to learn, not a convenience store; we cannot get in and out whenever we want. Complying with the school rules and being a good student are our responsibilities.

In conclusion, there are many well-documented benefits of penalizing students for missing classes. Studies show that students learn much more when they come to the classes. In my view, schools should give punishment for absence for the interests of the students.