Jennings, ZellynneCook, Loraine D.Anderson, Susan2013-07-082013-07-082013-07-08https://hdl.handle.net/2139/15935Paper presented at the Biennial Conference of The University of the West Indies Schools of Education, 23-25 April, 2013, St. Augustine, Trinidad and TobagoInclusion has been broadly defined to include the elimination of social exclusion due to differences in social class and ability, inter alia. Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student is absent from school without reason 20 percent or more of school time. Students who are habitually absent from school will generally fall behind their classmates in their academic success. Research has underscored that low attendance and dropout rates are problematic in the Jamaican school system. This study sought to investigate parents' perspectives on the causes of student absenteeism at the secondary level. How their levels of education, their relationship with the school, and family background influenced their views on the causes of students' absenteeism were also examined. Using a convenience sample, a survey was carried out involving 227 parents in 10 secondary schools located in various parishes of Jamaica. The findings so far suggest that the factors influencing students' absenteeism are the home and family, and school factorsenSecondary school studentsAbsenteeismStudent attendanceSocial factorsParent attitudesConference papersJamaicaPresentation