EXOD419 Is Playing Hooky Unethical? A school is a workplace, with expectations and rules, and has its own unique business ethics issues. One dilemma faced by virtually all students is the ethics of cutting classes. A: All the kids at my high school, when they have a doctor's appointment and the like, stay out a little longer for lunch or ice cream. On a "once in a while" basis, is this a real problem ethically? Are we "robbing" our parents, who pay a fortune to send us to private school? A: The issue of cutting class is a difficult ethical dilemma. On the one hand, it seems clear that cutting classes occasionally is not inherently unethical. After all, you're not getting paid by the hour. Judaism considers girls over the age of twelve and boys over the age of thirteen to be adults responsible for their own decisions. Sometimes a student may make a mature decision that some other activity is more important than school attendance. At the same time, there is no doubt that playing hooky can involve a variety of serious ethical problems. It's rare to find a conscientious individual who does not make class attendance an overriding priority, and there are plenty of students who are scrupulous never to miss a class. An examination of some of the ethical issues involved will provide a foundation for judging the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Honoring parents. Honoring parents is a very important matter. Everyone has an obligation to honor their parents; this is so important that it is one of the Ten Commandments [this verse]. Although this obligation does not require a child to obey every order given by a father or a mother, Jewish tradition ascribes immense value to obedience. Parents are generally in an excellent position to judge what norms and obligations are best for their children. As long as you are living at home, you have the additional responsibility of conforming to household norms, which probably include regular school attendance. If good attendance is very important to your parents, or if your skipping classes will reflect badly on them or on other family members, there is a good chance that you will be falling short of your responsibility to your family if you miss class. Respect for Teachers. In Jewish tradition, a student is obliged to show respect and reverence toward his teachers. This is especially true in Torah studies but applies also to secular studies [Pesachim 108a]. Skipping class shows disrespect for teachers and for the school as a whole. In addition to the inherent problem of showing disrespect, class cutting may demoralize a school's teachers and precipitate a breakdown in the school's discipline, problems that may eventually affect the entire student body and faculty. Another serious problem is that playing hooky may incite other students to follow your example, against their better judgment and their best interest. Honor code. If your school has an honor code, you must abide by it. An honor code is a solemn obligation that students take upon themselves, and they must be careful to live up to its standards. But by the same token, the school's administrators should ensure that any honor code students are expected to adopt makes only reasonable demands. If the code's requirements are excessive, then it invites cynicism and educates toward expediency. Jewish law specifies that sons and daughters have a strict responsibility to obey when their parents ask for help, but balances this with a stern warning that parents must not make excessive and in reasonable demands. [Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 240:19] Temptation to Cover Up. The act of cutting class has very strong ethical ramifications because a student who cuts may be strongly tempted to misbehave in other ways. If he is caught, he is tempted to lie; having missed class, he may be tempted to copy homework or cheat on an exam. The Mishnah tells us that "one transgression drags along another," [Avot 4:2] and this is certainly true of playing hooky. Jewish tradition warns us against putting our values to the test in this way. A short prayer which is part of the morning service begs God to save us from "temptation and disgrace," which all too often go together. Conclusion. Mature teenagers are beginning to take on adult responsibility. This means that they can begin to establish their own priorities, which are not necessarily identical to the expectations others have of them. Perhaps there are times when serious and important commitments should have priority over school attendance. On the other hand, attaining a sense of responsibility means that the students should be able to appreciate the immense importance of a good education and of a positive attitude toward the schools they attend and the norms that apply in school. A student who carefully takes account of all these considerations will very likely conclude that skipping class is seldom a good idea. The best solution is to obtain permission in advance for any valid absence from class, thus avoiding the problems of cynicism and disrespect.
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