Trends and Influences of Student Absenteeism in Northern Malawi: A Longitudinal Analysis

Despite recent and laudable improvements in school enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring that the learning needs of young people are met remains a challenge. In particular, students who are formally enrolled but perform... [ view full abstract ]

Despite recent and laudable improvements in school enrolment in sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring that the learning needs of young people are met remains a challenge. In particular, students who are formally enrolled but perform poorly, face discrimination, or miss school regularly, may be ‘silently excluded’ from education (Lewin 2009). Several studies in Malawi have underscored high levels of student absenteeism: Loaiza and Lloyd (2008) showed that 15% of students aged 10-19 missed two or more school days in the preceding week, while Grant and colleagues (2013) found that 20% of 14-16 year-old students were absent on the most recent school day.

Using longitudinal data from Karonga district in northern Malawi, covering an annual sample of over 30,000 individuals since 2002, this study will identify the proximate and distal determinants of student absenteeism, and whether these determinants vary by gender, age, season, or school year. Preliminary results show that of the 16% of primary school students in 2010 who missed at least one day during the last four weeks that school was in session, two-thirds reported missing school due to illness, while smaller proportions indicated that parental illness or lack of money prevented their attendance on one or more days. Interestingly, both the prevalence and the reported causes of absenteeism were very similar among boys and girls. Subsequent multivariable analysis will explore the wider combination of individual-, household-, school-, and community-level factors that inhibit regular school attendance and place young people at risk of adverse educational outcomes.