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días asistidos
informando nominativamente

Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

fugas

English translation:

skipping class (US)/absconding (UK)

Added to glossary by Lydia De Jorge
Mar 25, 2020 15:39
4 yrs ago
60 viewers *
Spanish term

fugas

Spanish to English Social Sciences Education / Pedagogy Ecuador
This is from a school transcript from Ecuador, in the "Attendance" section, with a space next to each item for a number.
Días laborados 0
Días asistidos 0
Faltas justificadas 0
Faltas injustificadas 0
Atrasos 0
Fugas 0

I *think* this refers to truancy, i.e. if there are enough unexcused absences, it would fall under "fugas" but I haven't been able to confirm this. Is anyone familiar with the Ecuadorian educational system?

Thanks in advance and hope everyone is keeping well.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 skipping class
4 +4 absconding
4 truancy
3 elopements/escapes/leaving w/o permission
Change log

Mar 30, 2020 15:35: Lydia De Jorge Created KOG entry

Discussion

David Ronder Mar 26, 2020:
@ Paul Stevens That makes a lot of sense. Maybe in rural Ecuador they run off home to help on the land?
Paul Stevens Mar 26, 2020:
I would add that since "fuga" can mean escape or flight (rather than being absent), I do not believe that truancy would be correct here, as the Oxford English Dictionary definition of truant is "a pupil who STAYS AWAY from school without leave or explanation" which would be covered by "faltas injustificadas". If you abscond, you normally go to school, but leave at some stage during the school day.
Paul Stevens Mar 26, 2020:
@ David Ronder Absolutely correct!
David Ronder Mar 26, 2020:
To abscond is to leave without permission. Truancy is missing school for no good reason. They are related but not strictly synonymous.
neilmac Mar 26, 2020:
If pupils abscond Thety are committing the act of truancy. A quick Google search for "pupils abscond" turns up several examples of usage such as "Pupils abscond lessons to play video games" (and when they do this they are committing truancy, or playing truant). Hence my choice of the latter as head word, rubric or heading.
David Ronder Mar 26, 2020:
Absconding is escaping punishment or justice, or some unhappy situation. It can also involve making off with some money. When you abscond, you don't intend to return.
I see Paul's example, but think it must be very atypical, an outlier. You might abscond from a boarding school - flee and hope never to return - but in the UK we usually just talk about playing truant, or less formally, bunking off, for missing classes. Skipping class is the US equivalent, though my only doubt about it for this context is that it is just that - very American - and also rather informal.
neilmac Mar 26, 2020:
Abscond ... would indeed be commonly used in UK English in this context. However, I wouldn't use it as the heading myself, as I prefer Truancy, which I've just posted as a suggestion.
Lydia De Jorge Mar 25, 2020:
In 15 years as a school teacher I never heard the term 'abscond' in regards to student attendance. Perhaps it is used in the UK... either way, the document is from Ecuador so it's possible that it means something altogether different.
Paul Stevens Mar 25, 2020:
@ MollyRose We do indeed use "abscond" in this way in UK English. Please see the link that i posted.
Carol Gullidge Mar 25, 2020:
In English schools, the class register Simply marks pupils as either “present” or “absent”
MollyRose Mar 25, 2020:
I understand the word "abscond" to mean: to go away suddenly and secretly because you have stolen something, usually money. If you google the word, this is usually the meaning, although I did see one dictionary that shows one of the definitions as simply going away secretly to avoid prosecution. Maybe they use it like that in the UK?

Another possibility: "Elopements." I interpreted for an IEP for a special ed student, and they used the word "elope" and the Spanish-speaking mom used the word "fugar." This is where the child would find opportunities to run and escape from the classroom and go outside. But I don't know if that is what they mean in this context.
Lydia De Jorge Mar 25, 2020:
Truancy: not showing up for any class.
Skip/cut: not showing up for some of your classes.
neilmac Mar 25, 2020:
Back in the day ... (in Scotland) sometimes we would go to school in the morning and sign in, then climb over the fence halfway through the morning or whenever. These "fugas" would come under the heading of truancy IMHO.
neilmac Mar 25, 2020:
I'd say "Truancy" would be the appropriate headword in general, but I am not particularly expert in the Ecuadorian education system. Justified absences/Unjustified absences/Truancy ...
Juan Jacob Mar 25, 2020:
No conozco el término, pero imagino que el alumno sale del establecimiento escolar durante clases sin permiso...

Proposed translations

+1
31 mins
Selected

skipping class

Different from truancy as the student might be present in some classes but skip others.
Peer comment(s):
agree Tomasso : US usage is skipping, los padres suponen que esta la escuela...But in England parece la palabra es abscond..Waffle Waffle
2 hrs
as so many other words... stay safe!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you! I think the idea of being present in some classes but not others is exactly what is meant here. Looks like "skipping" for U.S. and"absconding" for UK. I really appreciate everyone's input and great suggestions all around."
+4
41 mins

absconding

http://www.stourportprimary.worcs.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/...

Extract from above:

To abscond is to ‘leave without permission’.
Under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 and in Common Law, schools and other
education settings owe a duty of care towards their pupils. This duty of care requires that all
reasonable steps are taken to ensure that pupils are safe and remain within the care of the school at
all times throughout the school day and during school led activities.
Where a pupil, present at formal registration, is found to be absent from school without
authorisation the following procedures should be followed:
● A] pupils who abscond before the end of the registration period
● B] pupils who abscond after registration
● C] pupils who are excluded, but come onto the school site
● D] pupils who abscond from school but remain in the school grounds
Peer comment(s):
agree Juan Jacob : El ingés no es mi idioma, pero esto es lo que entiendo. Salir de clases sin permiso y sin avisar.
23 mins
Gracias
agree James A. Walsh
1 hr
Thanks
agree Robert Carter
1 hr
Thanks
agree David Ronder : You've made your case well in the discussion and I think on reflection this probably is the best option for 'fuga' here.
19 hrs
Thanks, David
Something went wrong...
16 hrs

truancy

Truancy = absenteeism. (However, I wouldn't "Absenteeism" it as a heading, having used "absence/s" in the previous two headings -Justified and Unjustified absences).
I'm posting this because it is the heading I would expect to see for this section of the document. I'm not keen on "abscond/ing" as a headword, simply because I've never heard it used in that context. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised to see "abscond" under the heading, but I think truancy makes for a better headword.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2020-03-26 07:48:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

So, you might get headings something like these:
Excused absences 0
Unjustified absences 0
Lateness Lateness 0
Truancy 0

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2020-03-26 07:48:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://core.ac.uk/reader/4158120
Reference:

https://www.linguee.com/english-spanish/search?query=truancy&source=auto

https://core.ac.uk/reader/4158120

Peer comment(s):
neutral David Ronder : Not so sure, now
1 hr
Still best option for the header IMHO, as I've tried to explain....
Something went wrong...
1 day 1 hr

elopements/escapes/leaving w/o permission

The other options in the Asker's list indicate not showing up or being late, so this sounds like that the student showed up but then left. Either he left a classroom or he left the school premises or went somewhere else (to hide or just do what he wanted) on the premises.

As I mentioned in the discussion, in education they use the word "elopement." (Sorry, I had said "escape," but meant elopement.) They use it in the medical and psychology fields, too.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 1 hr (2020-03-26 17:11:46 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The definition that I had added didn't show, but according to Merriam-Webster, it mainly means just to escape (not necessarily to get married).
Example sentence:

Student eloped from school for a second time, again traveling to the side of the busy commercial thoroughfare.

Student eloped from Seawood-Miller's office and when brought back, he hit, kicked and punched the monitor.

Reference:

https://rdw.rowan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3618&context=etd

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5aa5e37a4611a06cb715e1f7/t/5c91ae0eeb39313f759305be/1553051163746/EDSP+560+Case+Study+Part+1.pdf

Something went wrong...
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