Figures disclosed at the request of Israel Hayom indicate that in the past school year, the number of students cared for by regular visiting officers due to absence from school exceeded 90,85 – a significant increase from the 209-<> school year, when the number stood at <>,<>.
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"Every case is a complex story that is examined in depth and handled," says Maor Zemach, chairman of the National Security Officers Association. "You have to differentiate between the cases. There are the children in kindergarten and elementary school, and then it's parents who don't send their children to frameworks – because of difficult family backgrounds, dysfunction, conflict between parents, crisis of trust with management, and so on.
But as age increases, we see teenagers making a decision not to go to school, because they experience a lot of frustration there and can't find themselves in the system. Although the CBS works to enforce the Compulsory Education Law, it is not a professional to fear. He will do everything in his power to help return the students to the educational framework, such as mediation and mediation with the school staff, psychological services, welfare. It will also rarely be necessary to initiate legal proceedings against the parents."
So it is known that not all students like to go to school, but many parents do not know how to deal with a phenomenon that is not a one-time occurrence in their children - their subtraction sheet is full, and the parents find themselves fighting with the children, who refuse to leave the house, almost every morning.
Every day a different excuse
"A child who doesn't want to go to school is a daily battle," says a mother of a middle school student. "During the year, I flew on a work trip abroad for six days, five of which my son didn't set foot in school. It's just frustrating. To me he would say that his stomach hurt, the day after that he would claim that his head hurts, and so continuously. We tested him to negate his claims and found him healthy.
Student in class. The dropout rate is low relative to the world, photo: Ami Shumen
"It was just an excuse not to go to school," she adds. "He would stay at home for days, and it wasn't always possible to insist on him, because there are other children to spread out in frameworks and work to get to. The school was apathetic, and I had to beg for a meeting with the counselor for an intervention plan. All this time, he continued to claim that everything was fine academically and socially."
"When children say they don't want to go to school, they may not be happy there," says Dr. Niva Dolev, an expert in social-emotional skills and dean of students at Kinneret Academic College.
"Children who have difficulty in school, children with attention difficulties, children who are socially excluded or ostracized or who are bored in the system, most of which is still based on passive learning, measurement and evaluation. As parents, we must first find out the real reason for the reluctance to return to school. It is important to listen, not to dismiss the explanation that the children give, and to create an atmosphere of acceptance and openness to talk about things."
Overt and covert dropout
According to the data we have obtained, the largest increase in the number of students being treated by security officers in recent years occurred during the COVID-6 and Zoom learning year (000/86). At that time, there was an increase of 80,<> students compared to a year without COVID-<> (<>,<> in <>/<> compared to less than <>,<> in <>/<>). In some cases, the Ministry of Education involved security officers even when students did not connect to Zoom regularly.
Dr. Dolev: "Some parents are afraid to confront their children, Photo: Elior Ben-Haim
Dr. Dolev explains: "The coronavirus has made the situation worse, and has led to many students still feeling disconnected academically and socially. They can't get back on the wave, and basically give up their own future in advance.
Some parents are afraid to confront their children on the issue, but parental authority must be exercised – boundaries and love can certainly go together. It is also important to involve the school and make sure that it treats the symptoms that make it difficult to return. At the same time, it is also important to consult with relevant professionals."
We emphasize that in cases where students do not come to school for seven consecutive days, or accumulate 14 non-consecutive days of absence, a regular visit procedure begins. At first, the parents were sent the first letter about not making regular visits, and later – a home visit, as needed and in cooperation with the school staff. Missing school, wandering around the yard, and academic dysfunction are usually milestones for dropping out.
In the education system, there are two types of dropout: open dropout – physical dropout, when students leave school and the school security officer works to find them an alternative framework; And hidden dropout – a broader phenomenon that refers to students who do not come to school regularly, or who come but do not actually study and do not function as students – wander around the yard, do not take part in classes, accumulate many learning gaps, do not take exams or take and fail.
Overload on security officers
"The role of the security officers was born in the 50s, when families would send their children to work and the CBS would send them back to school," Zemach explains. "The job has undergone a dramatic change, and today many students are being treated who perform covert dropouts. These are students you'll see in the hallway, or they walk into the classroom and put their heads on the table."
Students in class. In preparation for the summer vacation, photo: Yossi Zeliger/Archive
In recent months, the security officers have waged a battle over their wages and working conditions: According to Zemach, "Each visiting officer handles 100-120 students. This is a huge number considering the fact that each student has to do in-depth treatment, which requires a lot of time. That is why the number of standards should be increased. The school security officer is committed to a teaching certificate and at least five years of experience in the system, and still earns much less than a teaching employee."
The Education Ministry said in response: "Regarding hidden dropouts, these are students who are frequently absent from the education system for no justifiable reason, or who are passively present in class and show low involvement in studies and school activities."
"Today, the ministry does not have a computerized system that measures hidden dropouts. A tool for monitoring students in concealed dropouts is currently being built and validated, in collaboration with the Economics and Budget Administration. As for open dropouts, the rate of dropouts from the Israeli education system is low relative to the rest of the world. The annual dropout rate in 2022 was 16,267 students – 0.88 per cent of all pupils."
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