American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. ISSN 2429-5396 I www.american-jiras.com

| Mviri Hubert César

│ Entsiro François

│ Tira Juslain Joel

│ Litoto Pambou Lucien

│ Tsiama Portejoie Jean Aimé

│ Koulombo Armel Ulrich

│ Moulongo Jean Georges André

│ Massamba Alphonse

│ and │ Mbemba François

│

Laboratory of Didactics of Physical and Sports Activities │ Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education │ Marien Ngouabi University │ Brazzaville

│ Congo │

Laboratory of Sport Sociology │ Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education │ Marien Ngouabi University │ Brazzaville │ Congo │

Laboratory of Sports Biosciences │ Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education │ Marien Ngouabi University │ Brazzaville │ Congo │

Laboratory of Exercise Physiology │ Nutrition and Biomechanics │ Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education │ Marien Ngouabi University │

Brazzaville │Congo │

ABSTRACT

Background: Absenteeism reveals certain unknown aspects in the Western world (overcrowded classrooms, glances

with respect to other disciplines) that emerge from the variety of situations in physical education teatching. Objective:

This article puts into perspective the different expressions of the failure to attend school to practice physical education

among a school population in Brazzaville, Congo. Methods: Based on a survey of 447 chronically absentee students from

6 January to 30 April 2015, a quantitative approche was realized for the counting of the questionnaire included several

types of questions relating to absenteeism. Results: The authors explain the reasons for absenteeism in seven major

trends (self-image, peer relations, infrastructure, teacher-student relationships, parental attitudes, methods of evaluation

of physical education, socio-cultural environment). Considered as a whole, these failures to meet the academic

requirements of the practice of physical education are indicative of the fragilisation of a fraction of pupils, the growing

difficulties of managing overcrowded classes, and in particular the relegation of students to weak physical abilities; they

also reflect the bad side of an evaluation that does not take into account the control of execution of motor gestures in the

practice of physical and sports activities. The latter contributes to reinforce the disinvestment of absentee students in the

practice of physical education. Conclusion: The results obtained clearly show the need to combat chronic absenteeism

in physical education classes in order to avoid dropping out of school.

Key words:

chronic absenteeism, physical education and sports, secondary education, evaluation, socio-cultural environment

1. INTRODUCTION

For many years, student absenteeism has been a source of concern for school stakeholders. In fact, absenteeism is one

of the most powerful predictors of dropping out [1, 2]. It also deprives the student of certain learning opportunities and

has a negative impact on student achievement [3]. Student absenteeism also contributes to a better perception of the

level of violence at school among teachers. Teachers seem to feel the absence of students as a challenge to their own

role, which may affect their professional commitment.

Empirical studies of the determinants of student absenteeism in physical education and sports (PES) classes are few in

comparison to school dropouts [4]. While published studies provide valuable information, they often suffer from certain

weaknesses. In general, either they involve a small number of students or they use relatively summary statistical

analyzes. The process of comparing groups of regular students with groups of students who are frequently absent during

PSE leads to a loss of information on a range of "intermediate" students and processes [5]. Most importantly, the

majority of absenteeism studies are based on very weak theoretical bases [1] (for one exception). They are primarily

aimed at examining the effect of a particular variable on absenteeism or identifying variables that discriminate against

students who are absent from those who are not absent [6]. Despite their interest, the results of this research provide

little information on the dynamics leading to absenteeism [7].

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN CONGOLESE

STUDENTS: CENTRAL AFRICAN ANALYSIS

and Applied Sciences are the property of Atlantic Center Research Sciences, and is protected by copyright laws CC-BY. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. ISSN 2429-5396 I www.american-jiras.com

Probably because of theoretical poverty, existing studies reveal a wide variety of risk factors for absenteeism, such as

from weak socio-economic backgrounds [8] or from ethnic minorities [9], having doubled a class [10], feeling

academically unstable [11], conflicting relationships with peers [12] or coping with highly controlled educational practices

[13], for example. Some of these risk factors relate to the socio-demographic characteristics of students and are clearly

distal variables, over which members of educational teams have relatively little control. Others are more relevant to

students sports experiences and are more proximal variables, over which educational teams may have more influence

[14]. A central question is therefore to establish the respective weight of the socio-demographic characteristics of

students and their school experience in explaining chronic absenteeism in PES. Despite the diversity of risk factors

identified, the voluntary absence in PES is, for some authors, a withdrawal behavior that results from a feeling of non-

integration of PES at school, not to taking into account what is going on in a PES session and deciding on it, and the

disinvestment that follows, in short what might be called a "negative interiorization" compared to the session of PES [1,

7, 15, 16].

In Congo, the interministerial decree for the application of the school law reorganizing the education system in the

Republic of Congo, the coefficient 2 is assigned to this discipline in state examinations (Brevet of the second cycle,

Baccalaureate) for to find a place in the educational environment compared to other disciplines deemed more serious

(mathematics, physical sciences, life and earth sciences, French, English, etc.). In this sense, the PAS should reflect its

educational value in terms of value, socialization, development of the person and be credible in the eyes of Congolese

students and their parents. In the program (official instructions of 1970), the aims are classified in three categories: the

exercises aimed more particularly at the control of the environment; exercises aimed more particularly at mastering the

body; exercises aimed specifically at improving psychological qualities and relationships with others. However, it is clear

from our teaching practices and observations that most Congolese PES teachers feel disarmed by the insufficient number

of hours per class (2 hours per week), overcrowded classes (between 70 and 100 students), inadequate infrastructure,

etc. Regarding students, we found in colleges and high schools a significant number of students taught in PES courses

and physical examinations of state exams. In transition classes, some students do not feel valued in relation to their

classmates; they feel a sense of rejection and/or failure that can go as far as seeking a dispensation. Because in PS

failure is not "discreet": "the fear of doing harm to others, to feel in a situation of failure is often a factor of demotivation,

search for avoidance and therefore exemptions from complacency "[17]. In addition, the works consulted on student

absenteeism in PES show that absenteeism affects girls more than boys and increases as students progress through

school [18, 19]. The results of other authors give some indications on the causes of absence from the pupils and the

explanatory factors for this phenomenon [20, 21]. However, their generalization cannot be automatic for Congolese

students, although there are similarities with black students in sub-Saharan Africa [22]. What about reality on the ground

in Congo? What do absences in PES in the secondary cycle mean? Is PES absenteeism in secondary education a social

background? Is it related to the evaluation method as practiced today by PES teachers? To answer these multiple

questions, we can emit the idea that the period of adolescence, the environment of the student (peers, parents) and the

mode of evaluation in PES justify the chronic absenteeism of the pupils. Moreover, the measurement of the number of

absences itself raises reliability problems. The most common measure is to resume absences recorded by schools.

However, apart from the fact that certain absences are not detected by schools, the distinction between justified and

unjustified absences (which are only taken into account for sanctions against pupils) is partly arbitrary. Indeed, according

to the members of the Research and Action Pedagogical Groups (RAPG) in PES in high schools, some students make fake

proofs by imitating the writing of their parents; others obtain fake medical certificates, not to mention major students

who can sign their own receipts. Added to this are absences that will not be recorded for internal school policy reasons or

those that are unjustified from an administrative point of view but perfectly justified by the students' life circumstances,

that is, who do not reflect a choice on their part.

Therefore, it seems interesting to cross the observations of teachers and parents with a self-reported measure. A central

hypothesis of this study is that the negative internalization of PES is the most proximal predictor of chronic absenteeism,

beyond the socio-demographic characteristics of students, parental attitudes, and teaching practices. If this hypothesis is

true, it remains to identify the variables that explain this feeling of negative interiority. Several studies indicate that the

sense of belonging [23] and the types of goals pursued by students [24] in other words their "academic motivation"

influence student satisfaction with school. However, students who feel recognized and valued within their school and

students who are looking to develop their skills (learning goals), report a higher level of satisfaction. Inspired by goal

theory, Midgley and his colleagues have conducted a large number of studies incorporating the various variables cited

above [25]. That being said, the aim of the study is to test the theoretical model of the attributions of the goals to the

problem of chronic absenteeism in PES. The specific objectives of this work are: 1) to identify and analyze the factors

causing chronic absenteeism of Congolese students during PES, in order to identify remedial perspectives; 2) to examine

the weight of the sociodemographic characteristics of students in the explanation of absenteeism; 3) to analyze the effect

of the assessment methods used by PES teachers on absenteeism; 4) to identify the influence of parental attitudes on

child absenteeism. The interest of the study is to report on the social use of physical education and sports.

American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. ISSN 2429-5396 I www.american-jiras.com

2. MATERIAL AND METHODS

2.1. Topics

The study, analytical and transversal, was carried out in Brazzaville (capital of the Republic of Congo), from January 6,

2015 to April 30, 2015. The source population of this city was estimated at 1.743526 inhabitants of which 27% of

subjects schooled in the secondary cycle (high school) (National Center for Statistics and Economic Studies, 2014) [26].

The target population was high school students enrolled in public schools during the study period. The sample finally

selected [447 students: 169 (38%) boys and 278 (62%) girls] was derived from the target population. It consisted of

students regularly enrolled in high schools, free of pathologies that contraindicated the practice of PES and volunteers to

participate in the study. The subjects were divided into 3 age groups: 14-17 years old; 18-21 years old; 22-25 years old.

Table 1 reports the numbers of subjects by sex and age group.

Table 1: Distribution of surveyed subjects by age group and sex.

Male

Female

Total

14-17 years

128

28.8

214

47.7

342

76.5

18-21 years

7.2

10.2

17.4

22-25 years

2.0

4.0

6.0

Total

169

278

447

100

n: number; %: percentage.

2.2. Methods

The study sample was randomized according to a two-stage cluster survey, stratified by sex and the sectoral inspection

that manages the facility. It was created from nine sectoral inspections of sports and physical education in the city of

Brazzaville. For each sectoral inspection, all the public secondary schools were identified and each sectoral inspection

constituted a cluster. A total of 9 clusters were selected for the study. Within the cluster, in order to determine the

sample size of the chronic absentee students, a systematic random sampling was carried out which consisted of randomly

repeating (random draw) the students who composed the sample. This was done on the basis of a calculation of a

sampling step. This result from the simple formula: population/sample [27]. As a first step, the sample size of each

school was defined by calculating the percentage of high school relative to the reference population. Subsequently, the

appropriate sampling rate was determined to arrive at the total of 19 observation units (19 high schools identified and

selected) in the sample.

The reference population was 4465 chronic absentees, calculated from the formula [28]

N= Nb

/ [(N-1) e

+ b

] (1)

Where N is the total population of students with chronic absenteeism, e is the estimation error, b is the probability

threshold at 95% and σ is the standard deviation. In our case, we have: N = 4465; e = 2.43; b = 1.96; σ = 0,037.

Chronic absenteeism was defined as 20 days of unmotivated absence and over, 80 class periods and more or more than

10% [29]. By agreeing to work with a margin of error of 7% [27], we built a random sample at 1/10th of the source

population, a sample of 447 students, the sampling step being equal to 4465/447, a step of 10. This step was applied to

the exhaustive list of all pupils still absent during the PES courses of each selected institution. For each school, we chose

the first student from the list of chronic absentee students, then the 11th, the 21st, and so on until the number of chronic

absentee students is forecast. This print was made by computer.

At the end of the procedure, a list of 447 randomly selected long-term absentees, covering the entire population of

reference, was made. During the study period, as a first step, we went through all the high schools of Brazzaville to

maintain all the teachers of PES in order to know the number of students absent during PES during the first two (2)

trimesters of the school year by level and grade. The figures obtained were then compared with those given by the

general supervisors of each establishment. Subsequently, we went back to these same establishments to interview the

students selected for the survey by explaining the reason for our presence in their respective institutions. During our

meetings with the students, a questionnaire was given to them individually. For these purposes, all useful explanations

have been given to facilitate the filling of the latter.

The data collection instrument chosen was the anonymous survey questionnaire. The survey used indirect observation

because "direct observation is when the researcher directly collects the information himself without addressing the

subjects concerned. It makes direct use of its sense of observation "[30]. While "in the case of indirect observation, the

researcher addresses the subject to obtain the information sought. By answering the questions, the subject intervenes in

the production of the information (p.164).

American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. ISSN 2429-5396 I www.american-jiras.com

Our investigation was at the level of an explanation / understanding research, it is thus a quantitative approach was

realized for the counting of the questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part included several

types of questions relating to: identification of interviewees (age, sex, level of education and establishment); marks

obtained in the various activities practiced during the past year; number of absences and justification of absences; how

to calculate the final grade; need to introduce criteria other than performance to score; relationship between lack of

optional practice and absence from PES; causes of absences. This part of the questionnaire was mixed: closed questions;

semi-open questions; open questions. The second part of the questionnaire dealt with perceptions of goal structures

through teachers' teaching practices and teacher-student relationships. Nine Likert-type items with seven response

modalities ranging from 1 (totally false) to 7 (quite true) were designed for teaching practices. The score was calculated

by averaging the item responses. This scale has already been validated by French-speaking Belgian pupils [4]. Five items

related to pedagogical practices related to the optimal development of the physical potential of all students in PES class,

that is, to the perception of a goal structure centered on the learning of programmed PAS (for example, "in high school,

we can make errors of the moment we learn", α Cronbach = 0.72). Four items related to pedagogical practices that

focused on the selection and promotion of the brightest students in PES, that is, the perception of a structure of goals for

motor performance (for example, "when teacher of PES asks the realization of a technique, it is especially to the good

students that he asks to execute it ", α Cronbach = 0.58). With respect to teacher-student relationships, the scale

consisted of 12 items that described the extent to which students rated teachers as listening, fair, and supportive of them

[25]. These were items such as "in high school, the teacher of PES took the time to correct the gestures of weak

students in the execution of gestures" (α Cronbach = 0.77).The questionnaire included several types of questions relating

to: identification of interviewees (age, sex, level of education and establishment); marks obtained in the various activities

practiced during the past year; number of absences and justification of absences; how to calculate the final grade; need

to introduce criteria other than performance to score; relationship between lack of optional practice and absence from

PES; causes of absences. The questionnaire was mixed: closed questions; semi-open questions; open questions. The

questionnaire was tested in real life, with about ten students from a randomly selected institution. This test served as a

check on the level of comprehension of the sentences, the relevance of the words, the correct organization of the

questions, etc. The internal consistency level of the questionnaire was estimated to be 0.83 from the α Cronbach index.

2.3. Variables studied

This section presents all the variables necessary and sufficient for the search and visualization of the relations existing

between them, with a view to a better explanation and/or understanding of the absenteeism phenomenon studied. The

construction of this framework was intended to highlight the links postulated between the targeted variables and in terms

of verifying the study hypotheses.

Age, sex, education level, home institution, grade quality, and causes of absence were the input variables.

The evaluation method used and the choice of activities represented the process variables.

The effect variable was absenteeism. It was a component variable macro: number of absences; justification of absences.

2.4. Statistical analysis

The content analysis of the data collected from the chronic absentee students was done in three stages. The first step

was to count all the answers. For each question posed as a variable, possible response methods were indicated. The

second step was the statistical processing done with the Excel software. For data processing, SPSS version 23.0

processing software was used. The results are presented in the form of frequency distributions by variable. The data of

each table is in the form of absolute frequency, relative frequency and cumulative frequency. For a scale variable such as

age or ordinal rank as the level of study, statistical indices of central tendency or dispersion were calculated.

In addition, the results are also presented as a frequency distribution. After this level of analysis, further statistical studies

were based on the crossover of variables and the use of inferential tests (in particular the khi-square test and

multivariate analyzes). For the crossing of the variables, we have constructed two-way and three-way cross tabulations,

to relate the variables supposedly related to the formulation of our hypotheses in order to affirm or deny this link; for

example, we crossed the quality variable of the note and the variable number of absences. The statistical significance

level for all tests was set at 5%.

3. RESULTS

3.1. Sociodemographic characteristics

The number of second-grade classes was higher than the others: 204 (45.6%) respondents [69 (15.5%) boys and 135

(30.1%) girls)] compared with those of the first class [160 (35.8%) respondents] and terminal classes [83 (18.6%)

respondents].

American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. ISSN 2429-5396 I www.american-jiras.com

3.2. Frequency of absences

It was observed that all 447 respondents were absent during the previous school year (2014). Students absent from PES

3 or more times accounted for 70.7%, a statistically higher rate (p<0.01) than students absent less than 3 times (Table

2). Sex did not influence the number of absences (khi-square = 0.159, p> 0.05).

Table 2: The table presents the number of absences during the past year.

<3 absences

≥3 absences

Total

Boys

14-17 ans

64.0*

36.0

100

18-21 ans

37.7

62.3*

100

22-25 ans

9.6

90.4***

100

Total 1

27.8

122

72.2**

169

100

Girls

14-17 ans

47.4

52.6

100

18-21 ans

25.0

114

75.0**

152

100

22-25 ans

11.4

88.6***

100

Total 2

23.7

212

76.3***

278

100

Grand total

113

25.3

334

74.7**

447

100

*: p <0.05; **: p <0.01; ***: p <0.001

3.3. Reasons for absenteeism

Among the justifications for student absences (Table 3), 20 students (12 boys versus 8 girls) mentioned their

justifications for excessive parental permissions. The presentation of a temporary medical certificate was a reason for

absence in 77 students (25 boys versus 52 girls, p <0.05); it was an annual medical certificate for and 10 students (4

boys and 6 girls). As for unjustified absences, 340 students did not justify their absence (28.7% boys versus 47.2%

girls).

Table 3: The table presents the justifications of absence during PES.

Male

Female

Total

Parental allowance

60.0

40.0

4.5

Temporary medical certificate

32.5

67.5**

17.2

Annual medical certificate

40.0

60.0

2.2

Without justification

128

37.6

212

62.4**

340

76.1*

Total

169

278

447

100

**: p <0.01.

The other reasons for absenteeism in PES, mentioned by the students, are shown in Table 4.

Table 4: The table presents the breakdown of students by other reasons for absence in PES.

Male

Female

Total

Difficulties related to self-image

41.6

58.4

161

36.0

Sociocultural difficulties

55.3

44.7

8.5

Lack of security during PES course

136

41.8

189

58.2

325

72.7

The lack of infirmary in schools

41.1

58.9

158

35.3

Lack of showers, toilets and changing rooms

162

38.5

259

61.5*

421

94.1

The activities practiced are essentially athletic

35.4

106

64.6*

164

36.7

The teacher's way of recording

103

38.3

166

61.7*

269

60.1

Inability to practice physical activity at choice

31.4

68.6*

19.2

The poor grades given by the teachers

112

43.1

148

56.9

260

58.1

The rejection of "weak" students by teachers

37.3

131

62.7*

209

46.8

Teacher behavior

47.7

52.3

176

39.3

Lack of adequate equipment

32.0

68.0*

122

27.2

Religious difficulties

20.0

80.0**

13.4

*: p <0.05; **: p <0.01

The lack of minimum hygiene conditions (lack of showers, toilets and changing rooms) in schools was mentioned by 421

pupils surveyed (36.4% boys and 57.8% girls, p <0.05). Other reasons for absence were: lack of security during the PES

course, 72.7% of students (30.6% boys and 42.1% girls); teacher's rating, 60.1% of citations (n = 269); poor marks,

American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. ISSN 2429-5396 I www.american-jiras.com

58.1% of citations (n = 260); and the rejection of "weak" students, cited by 209 students, ie 46.8% (37.3% of boys and

62.7% of girls, p <0.05). Absences were due to teacher behavior for 176 students (84 boys versus 92 girls). The use of

mainly athletic activities as a means of teaching PES was a reason for absence for students, 164 citations (36.7% of

which 64.6% of girls, p<0.05). Reasons related to self-image were expressed by 161 students (41.6% of boys and

58.4% of girls); the lack of infirmary in schools had been mentioned by 158 students. The lack of adequate equipment

for PES practice was cited by 122 students (32% of boys and 68% of girls, p <0.05). The impossibility of practicing

elective activities was emphasized by 86 students. Concerning the religious and socio-cultural difficulties, these were

mentioned respectively by 60 pupils (20% of boys against 80% of girls, p <0.01).

3.5. Absenteeism and schooling

In the first two quarters of the past year, 182 students (30.8% of boys versus 69.2% of girls, p<0.05) scored less than

10/20 (Table 5). Grades greater than 13/20 were found in 96 students including 61 girls (63.5%, p <0.05).

Table 5: The table presents the quality of grades obtained in PES during the past year

Male

Female

Total

Notes below 10

30.8

126

69.2*

182

40.7

Ratings ranging from 10 to 12

46.2

53.8

169

37.8

Ratings ranging from 13 to 15

30.3

69.7*

17.0

Notes greater than 15

60.0

40.0

4.5

Total

169

278

447

100

*: p <0.05

3.6. Assessment and absenteeism

In response to the important criteria to score in PES (Table 6), 427 students answered this question. Attendance and

technical mastery were selected as the main criteria for assessing performance by respectively 228 (53.4%) and 148

(34.7%) students. This was for attendance and technical mastery of 64.9% of girls (p <0.05). Progress, on the other

hand, was only mentioned by 11.9% of students (n = 51).

Figures 1 and 2 show that the boys who failed were absent more. Among those who were successful, the absences

decreased with the improvement of the grade. The same trend was found in girls. However, girls scoring less than 10

were absent more than boys.

3.7. Parents attitudes towards absenteeism

The different attitudes of parents to their children's absenteeism are recorded in Table 6. The wait-and-see attitude of

parents was the first attitude found in the face of their children's absenteeism, 107 citations (94.1%; p<0.001). The

other attitude involved in the PES absenteeism of the pupils surveyed was the lack of knowledge of the behavior of their

children (72.7% of citations, n = 195).

Table 6: The table presents the parents reactions to chronic absence in PES

Male

Female

Total

My parents say nothing

25.5

74.5*

36.0

My parents motivate my absences by their

interjections in domestic work

22.9

77.1**

8.5

My parents do not know I am absent from PES

42.1

113

57.9

195

72.7

parents do not accept that I miss the PES

course but I hide it

74.6**

25.4

35.3

parents do not say anything when I miss PES

18.7

81.3**

107

94.1***

Total

169

37.8

278

62.2

447

100

*: p <0.05; **: p <0.01; ***: p <0.001

Table 7 reports the means and standard deviations of scores for perceptions of perceived goals through teachers'

teaching practices.

American Journal of Innovative Research and Applied Sciences. ISSN 2429-5396 I www.american-jiras.com

Table 7: Mean and Standard Deviations of Scores for Perceptions of Purpose of Teaching Practices

Male

(n=169)

Female

(n=278)

Ensemble

(n=447)

Structure centered on learning (/ 7)

4.12±1.08

3.92±1.54

4.02±1.31

Performance-based structure (/ 7)

4.34±1.43

4.17±1.08

4.26±1.25

Performance orientation (/ 7)

3.63±1.26

3.25±1.32

3.44±1.30

Absenteeism was positively correlated with teaching practices, as shown in Table 8.

Table 8: Standardized correlation coefficients between the number of absences and the attributes of teaching

practices

1-Structure centered on learning

2-Structure centered on the performance

-0.51

3-Orientation towards the performance

0.35

-0.14

4-Avoidance of work

-0.20

-0.17

-0.40

5-Number of absences

0.47a

0.44a

0.41a

0.49a

a: p <0.05; b: p >0.05

4. DISCUSSION

This study, whose objectives were to identify and analyze the reasons for absenteeism in PES courses for students in

Brazzaville, Congo, shows that students totaling more than twenty days of unmotivated absence in the year, that is two

days per month represented a rate of 5.8%; thus, chronic absenteeism is very common that one could believe it by

merely reading the official census statistics of absences made by the Ministries in charge of education. Girls ranked first,

the reasons cited were poor school performance in PES (low marks in 94.1% of cases), lack of security during the PES

course, and the evaluation method used by teachers. (Motor performance-based assessment, 72.7% of citations), neglect

of weak students by coaching during learning lessons, teacher behavior, and students' misrepresentation of self-image.

The bad grades were related to the number of absences. The wait-and-see attitude of parents and the impact of peers

were key factors in absenteeism.

Our rate of chronic absenteeism among public secondary school students is higher than the national rate in France,

3.9%, reported by Blaya (2010) [20]. This observation can be explained in principle by the motivation of French students

in PES increased because of quality of sports facilities, the level of competence of teachers and the parents' view of this

discipline. Our study also shows that absences are more frequent among young people who have repeated, absenteeism

being one of the possible indicators of school disinvestment.

It is interesting to note that although families are often questioned about absenteeism and that it is rooted in family

environments that are not conducive to school integration [31]. Most of the reasons given by young people concern the

school environment and in particular the relationship with PES teachers, thus joining the work of Potvin and Rousseau

(1993) on the importance of the quality of the teacher / student relationship on school dropout [32]. This does not

detract from the behavior of some families whose lifestyles are contrary to school culture [33]. We have been able to

show that a number of parents need their children to stay at home to care for them or their siblings. Our results confirm

the existence of what Reid (2002) and Hayden (2002) describe as utilitarian parents keeping their children at home to

help them perform certain tasks such as caring for younger children. But whatever it is, it is the educational link that

most strongly questions our results [34,35].

A typology has been established by Bernard Toulemonde which includes absenteeism due to lack of motivation, comfort,

academic consumerism, breathing, due to economic necessity, constraint, chronic absenteeism [36]. We will add to this

dodging absenteeism, which tries to avoid humiliation situations related to the sporting experience [37].

Some of the girls explain their absence in PES courses by mentioning their health problems such as stomach pain

(menstruation) or overweight problems. We know that at the time of adolescence, children must appropriate the changes

in their bodies, which is not always easy [38]. Moreover, especially among girls, puberty, through menstruation, is

presented to adolescent girls as a potential source of disorder or even shame and disgust [38]. They see in the

transformations of their bodies a legitimate explanation for their absences. Parents (especially mothers), moreover,

tolerate relative absences relatively well. Michelle, 18 years old, enrolled in first class, evokes in a straightforward way

her problems of painful menstruation, accompanied by migraines, and even her difficulty in presenting herself in this

state during PES. These are legitimate explanations in his eyes to the school institution, especially as they are endorsed

by his mother. Medical appointments and bed-rest periods during menstrual pain seem to predominate over the

observance of attendance at PES courses, even though the evidence provided does not cover all absences, far from it.