ABSTRACT

After realizing that truancy was very common the researcher made an effort to undertake a study on how truancy affected the academic performance of the learners. The researcher also wanted to identify other effects, causes underlying the behavior, and above all the intervention measures to be taken to curb truancy. To achieve the above objective, the researcher prepared his data collection tools in form of questionnaires and circulated them to his respondents. The data collected was finally processed and analyzed quantitatively using tables and figures that are in frequencies and percentages. From the findings, it was evident that truancy and absenteeism, in general, affect the academic performance of the practicing learner. The behavior also leads to school dropout, drug and other substance taking, discordant behavior, youth pregnancies, and child labor. Poverty was identified as one of the major causes of truancy In conclusion, the findings also indicated that if nothing is done to reverse the trend of truancy, it will lead to more serious problems.