Description
The Taboo of Truancy Don’t Fence Me In: Essays on the Rational Truant assumes that most truancy is the outcome of rational decisions made by students in the face of circumstances that characterise their school experience. It rejects the assumption that all acts of truancy are linked to deviancy and anti-social behaviour. While the book does not seek to absolve young people from responsibility for their actions, it shows that structural weaknesses in the state-supported school system play a significant role in truancy from class and school. Written as a collection of essays, some report on the link between truancy and teaching style, ethnicity and linguistic proficiency, while others analyse the student as “consumer”, asserting the importance of establishing a literate order in order to decrease truancy rates. Some essays are more speculative, offering a theoretical assessment of political attitudes to truancy. Don’t Fence Me In is intended for anyone with an interest in education and today’s schooling system. It is a fascinating and insightful exploration into one of schooling’s biggest taboos.
