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High School Dropouts - why?

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ High School Dropouts - why?
Cat Food Flambe''s avatar

Cat Food Flambe'

Senior Member

1,230 posts
Jul 17, 2011 9:19 PM
Was reading an article about the lack of skilled employees in the "Dispatch" this morning. In particular, they profiled a scientific analytics company in the Providence, RI area, that has a standing need for a dozen technicians - in a metro area with an 11% unemployment.

It also mentioned that 27% of the local kids never finish high school.

I will admit I have led a sheltered life - grew up in a small town with serious Jones about education, and lived most of my adult life in suburban Columbus in districts where very few kids didn't finish school. From this limited point of view, I have a difficult time understanding why in this day of "no child left behind" programs ANY kid could not at get out of high school short of a disability.

Thirty years ago, schools were much less flexible, but there were at least some options of factory work, the military, etc where you could at least be able to pay for food and rent.. Very few of these options exist today. I'm not sure how anyone could view failing to complete high school as a good idea - but obviously, it happens.

Anyone have some insight into why kids still drop out at such high rates?
Jul 17, 2011 9:19pm
Mulva's avatar

Mulva

Senior Member

13,650 posts
Jul 17, 2011 9:33 PM
School is boring and kids are dumb and struggle with their long-term orientation. I have no empirical evidence to back my theory up though.
Jul 17, 2011 9:33pm
B

bigkahuna

Senior Member

4,454 posts
Jul 17, 2011 9:52 PM
ccrunner609;832729 wrote:Dropping out of school has nothig to do with the school. Starts at home. In alot of cases those "dropouts" pick up their GED through VLA courses or adult education classes.

This is the biggest thing. If nobody at home cares about you going to school, then you eventually won't either.
Jul 17, 2011 9:52pm
password's avatar

password

Senior Member

2,360 posts
Jul 17, 2011 10:15 PM
I wonder if there are any studies that show how many kids that drop out of school also have parents that were dropouts?
Jul 17, 2011 10:15pm
Little Danny's avatar

Little Danny

Senior Member

4,288 posts
Jul 17, 2011 10:15 PM
It's all about understanding the value of an education. As the last couple posts noted, if you do not have anyone at home to teach you this then it is easy for a kid to drop out. I have heard numerous times people from lower social economic backgrounds say:

"My dad quit school in the Xth grade and went to work in the factory/mill. He turned out OK so why should I finish high school".

As it should be evident to anyone with a brain, those days of the factory/mill giving you a job that pays big bucks, great benefits and a guaranteed job for 35 years are over.
Jul 17, 2011 10:15pm
Cat Food Flambe''s avatar

Cat Food Flambe'

Senior Member

1,230 posts
Jul 17, 2011 10:52 PM
ccrunner609;832782 wrote:the world needs ditch diggers too.

Not so sure about that - unemployed in the construction business is running - what, about 40%?
Jul 17, 2011 10:52pm
gerb131's avatar

gerb131

Senior Member

9,932 posts
Jul 17, 2011 10:53 PM
High Schools are subjective. If they actually prepared you for the next level of your life it would be beneficial. They only measure intelligence on a piece of paper.
Jul 17, 2011 10:53pm
T

tuskytuffguy

Senior Member

615 posts
Jul 17, 2011 10:59 PM
High schools DO prepare you for the next level. It's called college. If you want to go straight into the workforce, you go to vocational school, learn a trade, and still get your Diploma.
Jul 17, 2011 10:59pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Jul 17, 2011 11:00 PM
I dropped out of high school because that's the only way Marietta College would accept me. They don't want high school grads bringing up their numbers.
Jul 17, 2011 11:00pm
Tobias Fünke's avatar

Tobias Fünke

formerly "sjmvsfscs08"

2,387 posts
Jul 17, 2011 11:39 PM
justincredible;832820 wrote:I dropped out of high school because that's the only way Marietta College would accept me. They don't want high school grads bringing up their numbers.

Jul 17, 2011 11:39pm
GoPens's avatar

GoPens

Senior Member

2,339 posts
Jul 18, 2011 12:11 AM
Parents that don't care and just general laziness.
Jul 18, 2011 12:11am
M

Manhattan Buckeye

Senior Member

7,566 posts
Jul 18, 2011 12:27 AM
Our old neighborhood HS had a 58% graduation rate. I would wager the majority of the dropout had at least one absentee parent, if not both.
Jul 18, 2011 12:27am
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BR1986FB

Senior Member

24,104 posts
Jul 18, 2011 7:51 AM
My girlfriend's niece dropped out TWO weeks before graduation. She was one of those idiots like Cartman in South Park "I'll do what I want!" Nobody was going to tell HER what she "could or couldn't do" once she hit 18. Living on welfare now thinking she's "got it all."

I've seen kids who can't sign their own name/write in cursive. Also spoke with a teacher that said a lot of the students today write reports in "internet/text-ese" where the words "LOL", "LMAO", etc are part of the actual context of these reports.
Jul 18, 2011 7:51am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Jul 18, 2011 7:53 AM
BR1986FB;832959 wrote:I've seen kids who can't sign their own name/write in cursive. Also spoke with a teacher that said a lot of the students today write reports in "internet/text-ese" where the words "LOL", "LMAO", etc are part of the actual context of these reports.

It's true. I had to get on a kid countless times b/c he would not put spaces after periods. Probably thought I would charge him more for the extra characters...
Jul 18, 2011 7:53am
B

BR1986FB

Senior Member

24,104 posts
Jul 18, 2011 7:58 AM
ernest_t_bass;832961 wrote:It's true. I had to get on a kid countless times b/c he would not put spaces after periods. Probably thought I would charge him more for the extra characters...

And I forgot the always classic "prolly." Bunch of lazy fucks.
Jul 18, 2011 7:58am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Jul 18, 2011 8:01 AM
I cannot stand text speak, even in texting. "L8er, 2nite, etc."
Jul 18, 2011 8:01am
Ironman92's avatar

Ironman92

Administrator

49,363 posts
Jul 18, 2011 8:49 AM
Me2
Jul 18, 2011 8:49am
M

MontyBrunswick

Jul 18, 2011 12:57 PM
GoPens;832883 wrote:Parents that don't care and just general laziness.

I was lazy and breezed through high school. As long as you put in some sort of effort, you'll make it.

These kids simply don't want to pass, or they don't give a fuck.
Jul 18, 2011 12:57pm
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

Senior Member

8,651 posts
Jul 18, 2011 1:00 PM
dlazz;833166 wrote:I was lazy and breezed through high school. As long as you put in some sort of effort, you'll make it.

These kids simply don't want to pass, or they don't give a fuck.

I agree. If you even pretend to care, you can pass. But I think a lot of kids don't get any kind of encouragement from their parents and their parents don't give a shit. After growing up in that environment they learn to not give a shit too. It all starts at home IMO.
Jul 18, 2011 1:00pm
tcarrier32's avatar

tcarrier32

Senior Member

1,497 posts
Jul 18, 2011 2:25 PM
i don't know why the kids drop out. but lets get real, if anyone looks back on highschool and goes, "man i sure learned a hell of a lot". They're probably developmentally handicapped.
Jul 18, 2011 2:25pm
Ironman92's avatar

Ironman92

Administrator

49,363 posts
Jul 18, 2011 2:28 PM
I imagine many kids these days dropout due to the added pressure of knowing they'll need to secure at least a 32 or higher on the ACT to converse on minor league sites......just not worth it.
Jul 18, 2011 2:28pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Jul 18, 2011 2:29 PM
Ironman92;833258 wrote:I imagine many kids these days dropout due to the added pressure of knowing they'll need to secure at least a 32 or higher on the ACT to converse on minor league sites......just not worth it.

This.
Jul 18, 2011 2:29pm
Ironman92's avatar

Ironman92

Administrator

49,363 posts
Jul 18, 2011 2:37 PM
I know....so obvious.
Jul 18, 2011 2:37pm