Highlander Wave

Highschool drop out numbers increasing year after year

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 By Erin Brown

Everyday, almost seven thousand students drop out of high school. In one school year, 1.2 million students fail to graduate, but why do they drop out? Is it the pressure put on them or do they just not care enough to finish their education? Most of these students who drop out were already on their way to failing in middle school, and when they get to their freshman year, one third of them drop out. Freshman think that their academic skills are not the greatest for high school, so they just give up. It is not anyone's decision but theirs to drop out, but their decision comes from years of frustration and failure. According to the Research Center in California, 71% of students earn their diploma on time with their peers, but the rest either fall behind in their studies, or give up and drop out. The most drop outs come from low income families or minority students. Teachers can also tell if students are on their way to dropping out by past years of low attendance and failing grades. High school drop outs ruin their chances of a bright, successful future when they drop out. When students leave high school without a diploma they may suffer from reduced income and lost opportunities. Over a lifetime, a drop out earns $260,000 less than a high school graduate. In 2008, drop outs cost the nation $319 billion in lost wages. Many people wonder why students drop out, so researchers at the Pew Partnership for Civic Change found that some students are just not given enough support or help to make it through the four years at high school. The Pew Partnership done a survey and found that students either had no connection to school, found it boring, weren't motivated, academic challenges, or personal issues. Some of these students were faced with becoming a parent at a young age, having to get jobs, or caring for a family member. To prevent drop outs, teachers, family members, and other individuals could give these students more encouragement, motivate them as much as possible, and show students that they really care about their education and future.