School Dropouts: The Silent Epidemic

Throughout history, there have been multiple accounts of students dropping out of school to pursue personal goals, help with family problems, etc. However, the rates of these dropouts have dramatically decreased over the years despite the sudden interest in the matter. In the early 1960’s, the percentage of 16 to 24 year-old dropouts was triple the amount of dropouts in 2006 (High School Dropout Rates by Sex). Although those numbers seem low, the rates are still not good. More than half of the students who drop out don’t make it past the tenth grade (Schwartz).
What everyone really wants to know is simple: why? Why do students drop out? What factors play into their decisions? The economy is at stake when students decide to drop out, so that has many searching for solutions. What can be done to stop the rates from increasing? How can we stop the “silent epidemic”?
For starters, we need to be educated on the topic. We need to know why students are dropping out and thinking that’s their only option. The statistics show that 47% of students who dropped out thought the classes weren’t interesting (Pytel). Two-thirds of those same pupils claimed they would have worked harder in school if they thought more was expected of them (Pytel). Some reasons, like unplanned pregnancies and family problems, can’t be fixed as easily or at all. We can, on the other hand, make classes interesting for the kids. We can give them opportunities to do well and succeed by providing them with classes they want to take that are still relevant to their goals. If a student wants to be a car mechanic, mechanical classes should be offered to maintain that student’s curiosity in learning. Teachers can try to make their lessons more hands-on and less strict bookwork. If 69% of dropouts say they weren’t motivated to work, that shows that we’re obviously doing something wrong (Pytel).
In conclusion, much can be done to help cease dropout rates. The kids need help becoming motivated in schools. With the economy at risk because of uneducated workers, everyone should be aware of what is going on and try to solve the problem. Potential workers not only need diplomas, but they need the drive to want to work harder and gain more knowledge (Report Finds Fewer Jobs). If people don’t have that drive in high school, what can we expect them to want to accomplish in the real world?

 

Works Cited
"High School Dropout Rates by Sex." Infoplease. 2009. Web. 24 May 2010. .
Pytel, Barbara. "Dropouts Give Reasons: Why Do Students Leave High School without a Diploma?" Educational Issues. 2006. Web. 25 May 2010. .
"Report Finds Fewer Jobs for High School Dropouts - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 18 Dec. 1988. Web. 25 May 2010. .
Schwartz, Wendy. "New Information on Youth Who Drop Out." KidSource OnLine Welcome Page. 20 Apr. 2000. Web. 24 May 2010. .