Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the influences of teacher and student absenteeism across nine public schools (five primary and four secondary) in Guyana, South America. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this study, the author employed a mixed-methods study that included a descriptive analysis of a purposive sample of teacher (n=69) and student (n=175) surveys and semi-structured interviews with head teachers (n=8), teachers (n=25), students (n=36), and parents (n=9). Findings The findings suggested that teacher absenteeism can be attributed to school organizational challenges, such as poor working conditions and weak administrative leadership. Student absenteeism appeared to be influenced primarily by out-of-school factors such as the need to work and to take care of younger siblings. Research limitations/implications The study’s purposive sample may have prevented a more nuanced understanding of the various influences of teacher and student absenteeism. Originality/value The author provides new insight into some of the root influences of teacher and student absenteeism in Guyana, South America. As such, policymakers and practitioners in the Ministry of Education are positioned to devise evidence-based solutions.

中文翻译：

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为什么老师和学生呆在家里

目的本文的目的是探讨南美圭亚那九所公立学校（五所小学和四所中学）中师生旷课的影响。设计/方法论/方法为了进行这项研究，作者采用了一种混合方法研究，包括对教师（n = 69）和学生（n = 175）的有意调查样本进行描述性分析，并与校长进行半结构式访谈（n = 8），老师（n = 25），学生（n = 36）和父母（n = 9）。调查结果调查结果表明，教师缺勤可归因于学校组织方面的挑战，例如恶劣的工作条件和薄弱的行政领导。学生缺勤似乎主要受到校外因素的影响，例如工作和照顾年幼的兄弟姐妹的需要。研究的局限性/意义该研究的目的样本可能使人们对老师和学生旷课的各种影响的理解更加微妙。独创性/价值作者提供了对南美圭亚那教师和学生旷工的一些根本影响的新见解。因此，教育部的决策者和从业人员可以设计出基于证据的解决方案。