Which description best defines a truant?

• A. A child from 6 to under 18 who is on the street during school hours and absent without permission
• B. A child who attends school every day
• C. A child who is suspended from school
• D. A child who is late to class

Answer: (A)

Truancy means not being in school during required hours without a valid excuse. The description that fits this best is a child aged 6 to under 18 who is on the street during school hours and absent without permission, because being out during the school day without a sanctioned reason shows an unexcused absence. Being at school every day, or being suspended, or simply late to class are not truancy: they involve attendance, disciplinary action, or tardiness, not unexcused nonattendance.