Inuvik (Feb 25/04) - Grade 10 to 12 students are being told to get back to class.

Absenteeism among older Inuvik students enrolled at Samuel Hearne secondary school (SHSS) hit nearly 43 per cent last month.

That has school officials looking at ways to combat the problem.

"We can have the best teachers in the world, and we've got some great staff, but it's not doing any good if we don't have the kids here," said SHSS principal Peter Hough. "It's a real problem."

While the secondary school's overall absenteeism rates were slightly more than 33 per cent for the month of January, the worst numbers are being posted by its senior students.

Statistics taken from December's attendance records show nearly 45 per cent of students in Grades 10 to 12 are absent for the first two periods of the day.

Though the school's overall attendance tends to improve in the latter stages of the day, Hough says this is just not good enough.

"These kids are throwing their lives away staying in bed," he said. "So get out of bed and get into school."

The numbers, which indicate better attendance among the younger students, are most likely a result of better habits garnered from being fresh out of elementary school, says Hough.

"I think the younger ones are in a better routine," says Hough. "It seems the older the students get, the later they get out of bed."

Hough recalls one afternoon when he jokingly asked a student, who had entered the school late at 1:30 p.m., if he had just woken up.

"He apologized after admitting that 'yes' he had just gotten out of bed and I couldn't believe it," Hough said.

Punishment not the answer

James Anderson, superintendent for schools in the Beaufort Delta acknowledged that there is a problem and said that his office is looking at ways to deal with the problem.

"Detention and punishments may not address the problem, so we need to think outside the box because schools reflect the community and the challenges in the community reflect on the school," he said.

The region is currently researching the responsibilities of various agencies, including the RCMP. Legal counsel has been hired to provide the district education council with a better understanding of the Education Act, said Anderson.

In the Act, there is a provision that allows fining parents of students chronically absent from school $500.

"It has never been enforced but it could be a possibility," said Anderson.

"Because to be quite frank, these (absenteeism) numbers are dismal."

SHSS principal Hough agrees and says the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit authorities are helping to address the problem.

"We're going to provide them with the names of the worst offenders and they're going to try and help us get the parents on side and get the kids in school," said Hough.