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Spanish to English translations [PRO] Social Sciences - Education / Pedagogy / Ecuador
Spanish term or phrase:fugas
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.
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 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
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.
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.
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.
... 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.
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.
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.
... (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.
"Truancy" would be the appropriate headword in general, but I am not particularly expert in the Ecuadorian education system. Justified absences/Unjustified absences/Truancy ...
conozco el término, pero imagino que el alumno sale del establecimiento escolar durante clases sin permiso...
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Answers
31 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
skipping class
Explanation: Different from truancy as the student might be present in some classes but skip others.
Lydia De Jorge United States Local time: 19:36 Specializes in field Native speaker of: Spanish, English PRO pts in category: 156
Grading 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.
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
Paul Stevens Local time: 01:36 Works in field Native speaker of: English