Part 2: The Vanishing Student – Why No One Shows Up Anymore

In Part 1, we explored how education is increasingly treated as a transaction—a paper chase where outcomes matter more than learning. But beyond cheating and credentialism, a deeper issue is unfolding: students are disengaging at an alarming rate.

Where Are the Students?

Class attendance has dropped significantly across the globe. A 2022 international faculty survey found that most instructors observed a sharp decline in both attendance and engagement post-pandemic.

In on-campus settings, students are physically required to attend—especially international students, who must meet in-person attendance requirements under their visa conditions. Yet even with these mandates, many students arrive late, attend irregularly, or show little interest in learning. Simply being in the room does not mean they’re mentally present. Educators report students scrolling through phones, passively sitting through lectures, or skipping discussion altogether. Attendance is often treated as a checkbox—compliance, not commitment.

In online environments, disengagement takes a different form. Many students prefer online learning because it offers the ability to keep cameras off, remain muted, and avoid participation. While online education can provide flexibility and access, it can also enable invisibility. A recent survey found 76% of students rarely or never watched recorded lectures, and 35% regularly skipped live sessions entirely.

But across both modes, the deeper issue is the same: being enrolled or logged in does not guarantee engagement. Whether in a physical lecture hall or a Zoom room, students are increasingly passive, disconnected, or absent altogether. And when cameras are off or participation is low, educators have no way to know if students are paying attention, multitasking, or even still present.

Excuses and Apathy

This lack of presence is often accompanied by a culture of excuses: “I’m sick but don’t have a doctor’s note,” “My Wi-Fi dropped,” “I’m not comfortable turning on my camera.” While some reasons are genuine, many reflect a growing trend of academic avoidance. Deadlines are missed, participation is minimal, and motivation is dwindling.

Even students who do attend classes—on campus or online—often show little interest in engaging deeply with the content. Assignments are rushed or outsourced. AI tools are increasingly used to complete tasks quickly and quietly. And those with limited AI skills or confidence often turn to third-party services to write their assignments for them—paying for essays, reports, or even entire projects just to meet deadlines. In both cases, the focus shifts from understanding to simply “getting it done,” with learning left behind.

AI and the Shortcut Culture

Generative AI has added fuel to the fire. Students can now generate essays, solve problems, or write code in seconds using tools like ChatGPT. And with the rise of apps that disguise AI-written work as human, many see no risk and no moral dilemma in using it.

But learning requires effort, reflection, and discomfort. When we allow technology to replace thinking instead of enhancing it, we undercut the very purpose of education.

What Can We Do?

This crisis isn’t irreversible. Educators and institutions can take meaningful steps to bring students back into the learning process:

• Redesign assessments: Use oral presentations, in-person exams, and authentic projects that require personal engagement.-

• Reinforce accountability: Make attendance and punctuality meaningful again—online or offline.

• Challenge the camera-off culture: Encourage transparency, interaction, and support for students with genuine barriers.

• Teach AI ethics: Help students use AI to learn, not to avoid learning.

• Reignite purpose: Ask students not just what they want to achieve—but who they want to become.

Education is not passive. It’s a relationship, a process, and a shared effort. If we treat it like a transaction, students will continue to opt out. But if we treat it as a transformative journey, we can still bring them back—not just into the room, but into the learning.