Obama proposes requiring students to stay in high school

[Saucycarpdog]

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?

 

[darkcalling]

Yes. The vast majority of drop-outs I've met have ended up in go nowhere jobs, trapped in their hometowns and resentful of whatever spouse or kids they have. My step-dad is a drop-out albeit a hard working one who honestly loves his daughter (my half-sister). Bad thing is he genuinely seems to hate my brother and tolerates me (at best). He's also a massive alcoholic prone to mood swings and occasional (usually brief) bouts of unconsciousness.

If there's some truly legitimate reason for having to drop out they should still have to do home-school or a GED at least.

 

[Aidinthel]

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.

 

[CulixCupric]

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

what?! you mean they aren't already? if not, then why are there truancy laws?

 

[Thamous]

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

what?! you mean they aren't already? if not, then why are there truancy laws?

To ensure that they are attending high school until they are legally removed from it. Whether by graduating or by dropping out.

 

[Lilani]

Forcing kids to stay in school doesn't mean they're going to learn anything. Dropping out mostly has to do with a lack of value they see in finishing school. If they don't think finishing will benefit them, forcing them by law to say isn't going to change that. In fact it will probably just make them resent it more, being shoved down a path they don't see leading anywhere. Not to mention how much more it would burden the teachers and faculty. The way the system's set up now, every time a student drops out the blame falls directly to them personally, which is total bull the vast majority of the time. It's not the individual faculty members, it's the system and the student's individual circumstances that make them drop out.

What we need is ground-up education reform, gearing the system toward how children actually learn [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&list=FLRSlRwCSOGYjVcnEx5D1NpA&] and actually working with teachers to find the right solutions, rather than making these arbitrary changes conceived by committees of so-called "education experts" who are really just gussied-up businessmen who haven't spent a day of their lives actually teaching in a classroom.

 

[TehCookie]

Let them drop out, I don't want to be stuck in a class with someone who would rather not be there and disrupts my learning. Also if you force them to wait til they turn 18 some people woud be unable to drop out at all, I graduated when I was 17.

 

[CulixCupric]

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

what?! you mean they aren't already? if not, then why are there truancy laws?

To ensure that they are attending high school until they are legally removed from it. Whether by graduating or by dropping out.

so this will prevent them from dropping out then? if not, then what will it do?

 

[fubaring0]

So a Democrat is forcing someone to do something because they know better then they do. Maybe they should improve the American school system so kids feel confident in High School and stay in. To bad he can't because the two largest lobby group in the U.S. are the teacher's unions.

 

[Erttheking]

Well intentioned, but I doubt that it'll change much.

 

[WolfThomas]

As an Australian I think it's in principal good idea, but not exactly thought out, I think if people have apprenticeships like building, mechanics, hairdressing etc, they should be able to leave. I think Italy has an interesting system where they have multiple highschools with a specific focus, like language, music, history and philosophy, sciences, technical skis, business etc. All do some similar subject like Italian, but each really focus for streamlining people either into jobs or university after graduation. I don't know how successful it is, but I like the idea

 

[Vault101]

Forcing kids to stay in school doesn't mean they're going to learn anything. Dropping out mostly has to do with a lack of value they see in finishing school. If they don't think finishing will benefit them, forcing them by law to say isn't going to change that. In fact it will probably just make them resent it more, being shoved down a path they don't see leading anywhere. Not to mention how much more it would burden the teachers and faculty. The way the system's set up now, every time a student drops out the blame falls directly to them personally, which is total bull the vast majority of the time. It's not the individual faculty members, it's the system and the student's individual circumstances that make them drop out.

What we need is ground-up education reform, gearing the system toward how children actually learn [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&list=FLRSlRwCSOGYjVcnEx5D1NpA&] and actually working with teachers to find the right solutions, rather than making these arbitrary changes conceived by committees of so-called "education experts" who are really just gussied-up businessmen who haven't spent a day of their lives actually teaching in a classroom.

well here there are altenitives to "school>further study" such as aprrenticships/ traineeships/ work exereince based learning and all that jazz

the Idea is that they are doing SOMTHING...not just dropping out of school to do nothing

 

[Vuljatar]

Absolutely not. If someone doesn't want/need to finish high school, the government has no right to force them to.

 

[Cazza]

In Australia a person is required to stay in "school" until the year they turn 17. Or is it just my state? They can leave school at 15 but would need to go into an apprenticeship, college, TAFE or Uni. Until they are 17.

I believe thats a good thing. The last thing a country needs is a ton of high school drop outs whos highest education is yr10. I know some people have money issues but most dropouts are just lazy people who hate school.

 

[Supertegwyn]

That's what it is like in Australia and (here anyway) it works really well. If it works in America, go for it.

EDIT: Ninja'ed. Damn.

 

[Gaiseric]

I think both of my brothers would have benefited from being forced to finish high school. Wasn't long before I noticed a drop in their self-esteem and confidence. While they were in school that were at least doing something instead of not being able to get a job because they didn't have a diploma. My older brother(24) still doesn't have his GED and is now scared and lacks confidence in his ability to pass the tests to get it.

 

[Dandark]

If you force them to stay in school even longer then they will just waste even more time going through it without really caring about it. It sounds like a great way to waste money on more costs that don't really achieve anything but other than that I don't see it being a very good idea.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

Forcing kids to stay in school doesn't mean they're going to learn anything. Dropping out mostly has to do with a lack of value they see in finishing school. If they don't think finishing will benefit them, forcing them by law to say isn't going to change that. In fact it will probably just make them resent it more, being shoved down a path they don't see leading anywhere. Not to mention how much more it would burden the teachers and faculty. The way the system's set up now, every time a student drops out the blame falls directly to them personally, which is total bull the vast majority of the time. It's not the individual faculty members, it's the system and the student's individual circumstances that make them drop out.

What we need is ground-up education reform, gearing the system toward how children actually learn [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&list=FLRSlRwCSOGYjVcnEx5D1NpA&] and actually working with teachers to find the right solutions, rather than making these arbitrary changes conceived by committees of so-called "education experts" who are really just gussied-up businessmen who haven't spent a day of their lives actually teaching in a classroom.

Thank you, that was a very interesting video.