Obama proposes requiring students to stay in high school

[LittleJoeRambler]

Maybe they could have an option where people who want to drop out can instead drop some of the "fluff" classes that most high schools offer as part of a "balanced" curriculum (like P.E. or whatever), and take more classes that offer job skills, like typing, familiarity with computer programs, how to interact with people on a professional level, or something. It would either cut down on their required hours or set them up with a greater skill range that would (potentially) make them better candidates for specific jobs instead of just churning out a large number of people who've taken identical required classes just to meet their graduation requirements.

 

[Riki Darnell]

I see a lot of people on here saying "well, you can't force someone to like (insert classes here)" which is true. If you don't like a subject, very few things will change that BUT it doesn't matter if you don't like it you do it! I went to private school my whole life and I can tell you that all the way thru K-12 I've only seen ONE person drop out. I hated my history class but you know what I still did the homework every if I didn't like it. I think if more kids went to private school or maybe even switched to a diff public school that might solve that problem. They should look at statistics and see if a drop out rate is high in a certain school, cause if so it might be something wrong the school is doing or not doing.

(going back to the private school thing real fast...I have a friend who I had known since 7th grade and he went to public school and some of the stories I heard were horrible. Not speaking for every public school but it seems like certain kids who went there didn't have any manners or social skills. Kids would yell at teachers and disrupt classes. There would be fights on school grounds. There was at least one person in the principles office everyday, etc.)

 

[magicmonkeybars]

"Obama proposes requiring students to stay in high school"

Yes, god in heaven please.
You people need all the education you can get.

On the other hand educated people are dangerous to the United States government so maybe they should force people to drop out at 15 to ensure a large uneducated populous that will be easy to rule and placate.

 

[SongsOfDragons]

In the UK we have something a little different which solves the issue of those who don't do well in academic settings: from 16 to 18 youngsters need to be in education, work or training, the latter something like an apprenticeship, the armed forces, etc. When I was in sixth form (that's 16-18 education over here) this wasn't compulsory.

 

[esperandote]

Sometimes i think school is partially to contain people to go look for jobs when there aren't enough.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

now I just gotta put my two cents in here, I live in canada where you can legally drop out of highschool if you want... there aren't a lot of jobs available to you without a degree, this is true everywhere, so you're pretty wel screwed if you don't continue with your education... however, I dropped out of highschool, in grade 9, my life was so fucked at that point, I had no support in my home, and I was being forced to take medication to deal with what the doctors thought was a chemical imballance in my brain, but the meds only made me numb except when I was angry, so get this, they medicate me to deal with depression with medication that makes me a rageaholic, and I start getting into fights because I was the least popular person in my school to begin with solely because I was the poor kid, one of the smart kids but not a nerd, I loved sports but didn't fit in with the jocks, and I was artistic, but didn't fit with the artsy kids, and since practically ALL of those where I lived were also the preppy kind of nerds jocks and artsy kids, and I was POOR, you can kinda see why it factored the way it did, just being near me for an extended time without picking on me or making a joke at my expense was enough to get you similarily bullied, so I lashed out a few times, hard, people started staying outside my reach but the bullying continued, I was planning to kill one of my classmates, had the whole thing charted out, I knew what path he would walk from school, and I had a weapon and everything, but then I realised what I was doing, all I could do was hate, I hated them, I hated myself and all I wanted was to see everyone and everything burn and die, myself included, fortunately I was smart enough to see this as strictly unhealthy, so I dropped out of school and went cold turky on the meds they had me on...

From the age of 14 to the age of 20 I was a recluse to the greater extent, only hung out with one other person who also was reclusive, and although I tried to get a job fairly consistently, because I hated not providing anything and wanted to be able to afford some newer clothing and such, I pretty much stayed alone, I watched and studied the world constantly, I learned a fair number of things that school teaches us to ignore.

I'd say it's a great law to pass, but only if they get their heads outa their asses and fix the school system, cuz from what I've seen, it's even worse down there on kids, more indoctrinatory less educational...
I don't remember the source otherwise I'd link it, but wasn't there a study done in the states that shows that their highschool education is so crappy that even out of those who don't drop out and decide to stick it out, only half of them even make it to a degree, due to underpreparedness and a lack of sufficient educational reinforcement?(They don't know enough of what they need to know to do even basic college work.)

So yeah fix the schools before you force people to stay there longer.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

As long as there's that "or until they turn 18" thing in there, then yeah, I'm all for it. An adult is free to make stupid decisions if they want.

Agreed. You can decide to leave school when you're an adult. I suffered through school so they should too!

 

[AbstractStream]

As long as there's that "or until they turn 18" thing in there, then yeah, I'm all for it. An adult is free to make stupid decisions if they want.

Agreed. You can decide to leave school when you're an adult. I suffered through school so they should too!

Yeah! Let them suffer and learn!
I honestly think it's a good plan though.

 

[Baneat]

Some people aren't cut out for high-school. Wouldn't offering them apprenticeships from 15 onwards be better for them? They might not be academically clever, but if you at least gave them the chance to be a joiner or a plumber they'd do even better than forcing them through and recieving no return.

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

Good. Sure, some kids will be pissed but it'll definitely be for the better. All the drop-outs I know do nothing with their lives, at least with this it gives people a better chance.

 

[Sylveria]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/politics/2012/01/24/sotu-obama-education.cnn

1:02

In his state of the union speech, Obama got on the topic of education. One of the biggest things that got me listening was obama requesting that states make laws that require kids to finish high school or until they turn 18.

What do you guys think of this? Should kids be required to finish high school?

Isn't that how it already is? You can't drop out without parental consent unless you're 18?

Anyway, yes, you should be required to finish up highschool. Graduating high-school, especially these days, is not hard. I have the same high-school diploma as a kid who can't read or do math above a 4th grade level... It's not hard.

The country has enough idiots floating around, lets at least have a literate country that can do basic math. I'm tired of McDonalds getting my order and change wrong.

 

[Marcus Kehoe]

Schooling is such a great privilege that a lot of people don't get the chance to have.

I'm pretty sure it said once people turn 18 they have freedom of choice to drop or not. But for kids under 18 it is in their best interest to stay in school if they have the ability too.

I will not back down because of the less than relating things you put above, School is for one's benefit and if they pas up that opportunity then under most circumstances they will suffer for it in the future.

How the hell do you go from making kids under 18 stay in school to book and tv banning, maybe in a sopa conversation but in a country where the education of the youth of america is deterioration. Some more responsibility most be put on the student's not just the schools.

Because this a law to "help" people against their will.

No it prevents persons under 18 from making a choice that will more than likely alter their lifestyle for the worse.

You know screw it if these kids want to make their own decision that will severely limit their choice of work then go ahead. I know that there are plenty of kids that do just fine dropping out, and I know that their are kids that really have no choice but to drop out. But I also know that most kids do very poorly when they dropout and end up with very low paying job's, end up on government support, or worse revert to crime.

 

[deathninja]

It's an interesting idea, but needs to focus on less academic aspects of education for those without the inclination or capacity for 'bookwork'.

What's provision like in the US for tech/tradeschool type courses at that age level?

 

[fezzthemonk]

Not true actually. My mothers a teacher and i have worked at the school with her for a couple months and I've got to say, teachers don't have nearly as much power as you might think. They are told how and in some cases what to teach by the board. You are basically given a strict guideline (in most cases the standardized test for the grade) and have to stick with that. all teachers are able to do is try to make things interesting. In most cases the real problem is the board who doesn't interact with the students nearly enough to see what they relay need. Another problem could be the parents. Teachers don't see kids for that long during the day. They need help from the parents who, and i say from experience, sometimes don't care.

 

[TheDooD]

As a drop-out myself I have to agree with the "why force them?" angle, another year in school might of helped me today but at the time I was in no way willing to spend another day there so forcing me to remain would of achieved nothing beyond getting me out of the house. The very simple fact is kids who want to stay/have plans will remain and the others will leave to find work or manage on there own.

That said (and this is a vague idea at best)if the area supports some kind of industry then schools should try and work with them. Give students who fully graduate some promise or option of employment directly outta the gate if they want it. Fill non-service army jobs, if you have a mining or heavy farming industry then offer extra training and work. Give students a real reason to stay, in hindsight I was an idiot but at 17 the promise of paid work a week after graduation would of kept me in school more readily then all the talk of my future and career ever did

I can completely relate with ya. Except I was kicked out without notice because I was sick and my 18 birthday turned on that week I was down with the flu.

High School should be more a job training tool then anything because a diploma is pretty much just a title with little to no power is behind it now. I wish there was an Computer Maintenance, Web Design, Graphic and Culinary Arts courses at lease when I got the boot. I'll would have had at lease a year of experience, in something I have interest in and I could self employ so I can at lease be self sustaining Or they could point me to employers looking for young workers.

It's hard as fuck to get a job when you find out friends with degrees can't find anything.

 

[revjor]

When I heard that I was stunned. The US didn't already have a law requiring children to have an education? Really?

Better late than never I suppose. Good idea obviously.

You really don't need a diploma to succeed or be happy in this world.
Work hard. Think harder. It's that simple.

Unfortunately for you, statistics state that what you wrote there is 99,9% bullshit.

But I'm glad for you that you had rich parents.

AHAHA rich parents? Try recently divorced single mother raising two kids in a one bedroom apt. Then moving in with your grandma just so you can afford to eat. I was one of two kids in my school getting free lunch. I was the ONLY kid in my school who got most of their school supplies paid for by the school. In reality I might have been the poorest kid in my high school. My mother is still in around $30,0000 of debt from living off of credit cards for middle through high school.

Try being the poorest little brown kid in one of the whitest wealthiest neighborhood's high school in Seattle. It's real fun.

Oh and the only reason my "rich" mother can afford her rent these days is because I pay her food bill. Because she's so fucking rich.
My mother had exactly one mutual fund left over from her divorce to pay for a fraction of one of her kids to go to college. I made the decision for her. My sister gets to go because my sister needed it more. Left high school and moved out. Which gave as many resources to my little sister as she could get.

 

[Zenode]

Depends over here in Aus you stay in school until year 12, or you can get an apprenticeship earlier.

 

[lacktheknack]

I say no, but there should be obvious and affordable options for people who wish to go BACK a few years later.