Originally Posted by
paraclete
smoothy it is too easy to blame the victum of the system. the problems are systemic and are wider than the school system, however you have to teach children that they have opportunity, not defeat and you have to give them attainable goals, not goals that relate to the top 5%. the kids are not stupid, they know people who have lost their jobs, who haven't worked in years and they take this on and say what about me?
it's not cool to be educated when education does nothing for you, what does a high school diploma buy you, entrance to a university, maybe.
Look at it this way, I am the first generation in my family to have a degree, and two fellowships, a high school dropout at 14, my father was a miner who never finished high school, only one of my children has a degree, the others dropped out and probably regret it. I didn't drop out because I was lazy, i was top of my class, but family dynamics meant I wanted out. From your lofty height you would look down on them, and me, but they are productive citizens even if they struggle to make ends meet in poorly paid jobs. Kids in high school are not mature enough to make decisions about their future. They should be helped, not criticised.