Should Schools have Stricter Consequences for Late Students?

Submitted by an anonymous student

Being on time at school or class is one of the most simple and important responsibilities as a student. Yet it may be one of the most ignored topics. Depending on whether you are late or on time can affect your grade.

Many people don’t realize how important coming to class on time really is. Having stricter consequences for being late not only improves classroom learning but also improves setting you up for success and adulthood. 

Coming to class late may seem not that bad but in reality, being marked late will show up on your final report card. Showing up to class late even by a few minutes can disrupt the teachers and your learning because the smallest amount of time missed is a small amount of information you didn’t get to absorb. Teachers must pause their lesson plans, redirect the entire classroom, repeat the lesson, etc. Over time, these interruptions for being late can slow down your and everyone else’s learning. 

Stricter consequences help motivate students to want to do well, and get their work finished before its due date. Even something as simple as having teachers take away marks from an assignment or participation would help. And yes, sometimes buses can be late, students could be sick, or have slept in, but if you're really not feeling well, you should stay home. Sleeping in is an easy fix. Students can set more alarms or tell their parents they have been having problems waking up in the morning and they can help them. Really, unless you are super sick or have an appointment, there isn’t really any good reason for coming to class late. 

Being on time for school is also a very important life skill, if you have a job or meeting it's always good to show up early. Schools should teach students these expectations, because being late only a few times could eventually turn into a real problem. 

In the end, having stricter consequences for students being late isn’t a punishment; it’s simply just being by setting students up for the future and helping students succeed academically.