Green’s Dictionary of Slang

an evasion, a way of getting out of one’s responsibilities.

1958		F. Norman Bang To Rights 90: Not many of us wanted to learn english and only went on the class for a skive.
1973		B.S. Johnson All Bull 274: A good skive always excites admiration.
1999		Indep. Rev. 14 Sept. 11: The MSP skive is over.