Dropout

[custosnox]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

I have a solution for the dropouts.  Instant military draft and shipment to Afghanistan.

Why aren't we finding these dropouts?  Does the popo not come to the house and cart you to school anymore?  They did to kids back when I was in school.

Parents are fined (sometimes) for truancy.  The term "Drop out" means that they officially have left the school before graduation.  Legally, once a child reaches the age of 16, with the consent of their parent, they can drop out.  At 18 (which is the age, if I'm not mistaken, that majority of drop outs choose to do so) they can do so completely on there own.  After all, they are at the legal age that they are allowed to screw up their lives.  So, sending the police after them is a moot point, since they have legally withdrawn from school.

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by FOTD

Not a lot of that responsible parenting going on across our nation.

Unless I've missed something in your posts the last two years:  

You seem to think it's a great idea to tax the **** out of the masses to ease society's ills and that government can offer a solution to every problem.  High taxation makes it more necessary for families to rely on two incomes instead of one, then you point to two income families being a reason for the drop-out rate.

The drop-out rate does not have a government solution unless it's locking down your kids for 12 years like a prison.  Increasing spending on government-provided education just for the sake of spending it is simply throwing more good money in after bad.  Every politician runs on a platform of more money for schools.  Name a politician above city council level who hasn't mentioned more money for schools.  I bet you can't.  What has more spending on education gained so far?  7,000 drop outs per day?  

Negative issues like drop-out rates, teen pregnancy, teens getting involved in gangs, teen drug and alcohol use, etc. have far more to do with a decay in the percieved personal responsibility parents have in raising their kids.  Somehow, the masses have been given the belief that schools and government programs will help raise their kids.

One of my children will graduate from high school in less than two months and has been taking concurrent college classes, the other will graduate in three years.  Both get excellent grades.  Both have plans for college.  They stay out of trouble, don't smoke, drink, or use drugs and they don't associate with kids who do.  It's not so much that they are prudish- it's that they are driven and know what they want out of life.

Pretty amazing considering, by societal stereotypes, they come from a "broken home".  Their mother and I both worked full-time when we were married (gasp! the dreaded dual-income home).  Wow, amazing and shocking neither has dropped out and gotten into prostitution.  [)]

Are my kids prospering because of government spending on schools?  No.  Has that kept them in school?  No.  Are my kids prospering because their parents made a good income?  No.  Taking a personal interest in the well-being of our children and not counting on someone else to raise them has.  

Taking parental committment seriously will do far more than the government can ever do to impact the drop-out rate.  It can be done, even in a dual-income home.

I agree completely with the parental committment thing.

Now how do you propose we get those parents to do the right thing?  

Will it be politically and economically easier to force adults to change,,,, or would it be easier to get the kids the extra help?

I agree that someone who has good parents actually needs very little "money thrown at them", let alone more. That parent is doing his or her job and the kid will do well. But if you have crappy parents, someone is going to have to do the extra "parenting" or nothing is going to change or perhaps get worse over time.

I hear what you are saying, but how are you going to force these people to become good responsible parents? Please tell me?