Truancy
Everyone has days when they don't want to go to school. But if you decide not to go to lessons when you should, this is called playing truant, or bunking off. Even missing one lesson can make a difference to you and it is still truanting.
Skipping school
People play truant for lots of different reasons. Maybe you're not doing well enough in lessons or haven't done your homework. Perhaps you feel bored or all your friends are bunking off too. Or maybe you're being bullied.
What happens if you miss school?
- You'll fall behind in important lessons.
- You'll miss out on being with your friends every day.
- It can be hard to catch up with what everyone else has learnt.
- You might not learn enough information to pass exams.
- Your teacher will want to talk to you about why you're bunking off.
- Your school will want to talk to your parents/carers.
Don't feel pressured into missing school. It's actually not a bad place to be for socialising with your friends and learning useful stuff. If you're wandering the streets during school time you're not likely to find many other people your age to hang out with (as they'll be in school) and you'll stand out - for example you might get approached by police officers wanting to know why you aren't in school.
If you are skipping school because you feel you can't cope, then it's a good idea to talk to someone before things get out of control. Talk to your teacher who might be able to help if you're having problems with lessons, homework or bullying.