Reasons Behind the High Rate of Dropouts

A great majority of Houston†s children enroll for school after they have enjoyed summer vacation. Houston area dropout rates list starts at full capacity, even by Christmas vacation the enrollment list has reduced to half of the students. The reason for high dropout rates is not because Houston area schools do not care about education, they are not taking it serious. According to the Houston Chronicle, a Houston area newspaper, † the Houston Independent School District, for example, failed to account for 2,131 students who were enrolled in 1997-98 but not in 1998-99. By no means will that number decrease, if adults do not find what is taking our kids out of schools. A young mind only stops learning when obstacle are put in the way. Obstacle, such as juvenile crime and drug actitives, teen pregnacy, lack of family funds, and parents who do not care. Texas Education Agency reported in the Houston Chronicle, that the leading reason students dropout of school is crime and drug actitves. Children bring weapons along with homework to school every day. Some youngster do not make it to juinor high without a murder case. Majority of dropout will end up in prison and never see the front day of a college. Drug also taking the minds of our young kids. They look for anything that will help them cope with every day problems. While their problems are only grooming the addiction only get stronger. Half of the students will become additive to some type of drug, and become dropouts. Another obstacle that causes high dropout rates is teen pregnacy. Sadly, a large percent of younger learners become parents during high school. This obstacle usually affect females due to the fact that most male students do not stick around to support their child. Then the female has to figure a way to attend school and pay for a babysitter. Since, it takes money to raise a baby the mother only choice is to dropout of high school and maintain a full time job. Why do children decided to raise babies, instead of doing simple daily homework? That question remains to be a mystery to many adults. The third obstacle would be lack of family funds. Few families in today†s society still consist of a father and a mother. One parent struggling to support a family is not an easy thing for a child to watch. Eventually that youngster finds any methods to bring money into the house. Some students will find legal ways such as a job for extra money; the other half of the student particpate in illegal actitives to support their family. That child is worried about stopping his mother or father from crying over money problems every night. Last but not least, one of the problems is parents who do not care or unable to give proper care to their children. There are parents who have two or more jobs and feel that their children can watch themselves. Then other parents just can not control their kids. He or she leaves home that morning for school and the parent will not see them until two days later. The father or mother wants to help their children, but parents can only do so much. Even the laws do not take extreme measures on teen run away. The police brings the youngsters home so they can run away again the next morning. There also parents who have drug or criminal problems themselves. The parents are to worried about getting more drugs or stealing a car to care if their child is attending school. What happened to parents being the best role models they can be. Until Houston realzies the obstacles in younger learner lives the dropout statistics will only increase. While the numbers are rising our city will consist of uneducated people who did not finish high school. What type of city will Houston become if most of the citizens are high school dropouts? The city can only grow if there are educated people running it. Also, children being allowed to make the decision to dropout of school will only make the problem repeat itself. When parents are dropouts they usually do not have enough money to stop the cycle. If a parent drops out due to poverty most of them never get out of poverty. With out an education high paying jobs do not drop out of the sky, so that parent is raising his or her child like they were. What stops children from dropping out when they own parents were dropouts? Another effect of dropping out of school is going in and out of correctional system. According to America Skips School, an article by Benjamin Barber, â€Å"the government spends up to $35,000 a year to keep a young black male behind bars but a fraction of that to keep him in school. When he is released back to society it will be difficult to find a job, because he is an ex-criminal and a dropout. Many ex-criminals go in and out of prison due to the fact they can not find a decent job. As Barber states in America Skips School, â€Å"if Americans were serious parents, teachers, politicians, and kids themselves would find solutions to high school dropouts. Parents should have dreams that they child life will be better than their own. If a mother was a dropout why do her daugther has to be a dropout? Parents caring and showing it will also help dropout rates. Turning the television off and talking to their child for one hour will only make their relationship stronger. When that child makes the decision to drop out of high school they could talk it over with their parents first. Then the parents could point out the effects of not having an education. If a parent talks to their children they will know that they are serious about school. Teachers play a major part with children attending school. Many teachers have stopped teaching with their hearts, but teaching for a paycheck. They must go beyond the classrooms to counsel at-risk students and their families. Teacher may not earn the highest salaries, but teaching should be an award by it†s self. They could also help by making the classroom a fun place to be. Children will start to drift off when the classroom is boring or they feel dumb. What can a student learn if a teacher†s only method of teaching is sitting behind a desk a reading a book to them? Teaching with a loving heart will let the students know that teachers are serious about school. Politicians can put an end to a lot of school problems by changing a few laws. The government could bring poorer communities up to standard by finding other sources of funding for Houston schools besides property taxes. Instead, of spending taxes to build a new dome for entertainment; politicians should have fought for the taxes to build and improve schools. Government should offer more programs for student before they dropout. When a student decides to drop out of school they should have to attend a one day program that will show them the effects of dropping out of school. When they complete the program if they still decided to drop out of high school they should have to sign a wavier reading: â€Å"By signing this, I realize I will not have the skills to survive in the 21st century. † They are then presented with a † Certificate of Dropping Outing. † If politicians were to make it harder to drop out of school then the student would know that they are serious about school. Children themselves could put an end to dropping out of school. They could set goals and stuck with them no matter what peer pressures come their way. Kids could become members of some type of peer support groups, so they would have someone to talk to when they need a listening ear. They could also be more active in church, instead of hanging on the street corner getting in trouble. Youngster should strive for the top and do not give up because of obstacles standing in the way. When students start to take school serious then the other parties will perform their roles. Everyone places a part in children getting an education. If one person fails to do their part then the dropout rates will only increase.