Dropouts

I saw another headline lamenting the high school dropout rate. As a teacher I'm usually quite sympathetic to the concern we, as a society, have for keeping students in school and all that implies. Generally, as a society, we are supposed to be concerned with youth completing a high school education so that they can become productive, informed, responsible members of society, and that consequently they may get jobs, pay taxes, and perform essential services for the rest of society. Somehow, keeping every high school kid in school through graduation is supposed to assure this. Or at least encourage it. The problem is this: the deeper problem is much bigger than this, far more systemic, and fundamentally beyond the scope or capabilities of public (or private) educators.

First of all must be challenged the assumption that all high school students should graduate. Along with that is the corollary that after graduation, graduates should go on to attend college. There is also the assumption that the root of the problem lies within public education system, or is a defect within the power of teachers to rectify. Consequently since the problem has not been rectified teachers are blamed. But one assumption at a time.

First of all, we should not assume all students should graduate. Many, if not most, student should be encouraged to graduate because it suits them. It suits them. They are inherently oriented towards academic pursuits, they can benefit from those pursuits, and gain skills and knowledge that can be put to good use for the benefit of society. In other words, society and individuals mutually benefit, prosper and mature together. An example is a science oriented student (gifted in scientific intelligences) that learns biology, disciplines his mind and energies to go on to medical school, and subsequently becomes a doctor who serves a given community healing diseases, setting broken bones, and the like. A high school education was an integral part of that process of becoming educated.

However, what if a given student is not benefited by a high school diploma, or can pursue his own education without the need to jump through hoops? What if a student is too oppressed by the atmosphere, feels too belittled by fellow students or perhaps a staff member? What if, in some way, the high school scene does not suit him, and is detrimental to his hope, his abilities, his aspirations? Other students with limited mental abilities may have enough education for the job that they wish to have at the tenth grade level, and would like to move on, work for a relative, settle down into some sort of job and establish them selves in an occupation that does not require a high school diploma. We must not assume that one shoe size fits all, or that some people will do quite fine going barefoot.