COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP
FACULTY OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
SGT University, Gurgaon

With the purpose of reducing absenteeism in students, one government school named Rajkiya madhyamik vidyalaya was selected to conduct psychological activities and after meeting with Principal Mr. Suresh Yadav of selected school. He was convinced for the intervention program in his school. After consent of Principal, the team gathered the baseline data of absenteeism of students from Mrs. Praveen, Mrs. Rita and Mr. Jitendra with the help of attendance register.

The personal interview session was conducted with faculty of School to know existing problems related to behavior and learning issues of children, and make the list of students who have high rate of absenteeism. Opinion of teachers were recorded to make future strategies to tackle the various behavioral and absenteeism issues of student. After that it was told that some interesting strategies of teaching to the Teachers of school and guided also how to motivate the students to develop habit to taking initiation in curricular activities.

Participatory learning method (PLM) was used to teach students for solving their issues of difficult subjects as the technique of English translation also demonstrated to the students. Interaction session was also carried out to resolve the queries of the school students regarding need of education in life.

Simultaneously door to door visits to houses of those students who were not regular in school also started to make communication with parents so that an understanding can be developed of underlying factors behind absenteeism of students. The team talked with parents and made them aware for the importance of school education.

During door to door visit of absentee students, some common reasons came in light are as follows:

Fixed Pattern of teaching (students as Passive listener)
Uneducated parents
Low Socio economic Status
Health issues of Students
Single parenting (death of spouse)
Unfavourable environmental setting

During this CAG program, we got new insight of the causes behind the problem of absenteeism. There are so many deep rooted causes, needs holistic effort to eradicate them. Initially we broke the fixed pattern of teaching and helps the teachers to use new teaching techniques which helps students to take active participation in classes and create a feeling of interest and responsibility in them.

So in this way we could resolve the absenteeism issue of students in an effective way and overall it was a great initiative for promoting students to come school with interest.

Community Achievement

The Community Action Group has been extending services to the Rajkiya Madhyamic Vidyalaya of village Kheda Khurampur on the arena of Absenteeism and Psychological issues of students selflessly for about last 4 months. The students and faculty members have been pleased with the services of psychology department. Thus the Principal of Rajkiya Madhyamic Vidyalaya Khurrampur requested to provide such services in future also.