Raising the Dropout Age

Children are told from a young age that it is mandatory for them to graduate from high school, but it’s not until they are on the verge of dropping out that they hear the importance for staying in school. It is also when they hear how high school students who dropouts learn the incredible price to pay in the future when they give up on an education. Thinking with a teenage state of mind and trying to take the easy way out they go straight for a GED, which is told to be an equivalent earning of a diploma. Stated in a complete listing of educational resources most teachers tend to argue that “The General Educational Development lacks the depth and breadth found in a traditional high school education” (“The Facts about Getting a GED” par.5) Initially, the program was created for World War II veterans to receive their high school education after the war and not for students who decided that they wanted to give up (“General Educational Development” par.1). This was until the year of 1959 when veterans were not the only ones getting there GED but also those adults who had yet to finished high school (par.1). In the article “Dropouts”, from Education Week, it was stated that “Overall, the dropout rate has changed among racial and ethnic groups; the minorities tend to have higher dropout rates than their white classmates”(Kaufman and Bardby par. 4). As of today the GED profile is still changing into 3.5 to 6 million young teens between the age of 16 and 17 year olds who have decided that they do not want to finish school (Haskins par.1). Due to the National Public Radio it was stated that “Many states are willing to reduce the dropout rate by rising the high school dropout age to 18” (Abramson par. 10). This law should be passed throughou...

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... set the same as the mandatory age for dropping out of leaving school. This is a high risk for giving children the opportunity to leave their education to earn money which will not benefit them in the long run without a diploma. There are few that will state that the mandatory age of a high school dropout is good at sixteen. Main requirements taught in high school become unnecessary, especially lower skilled jobs so not all people who dropout will be unsuccessful. Therefore, society is creating an economic waste by providing a service that has very little benefit to the majority of people (Rodriguez par.2). The PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, provided facts that show that not all GED recipients are less successful than high school graduates. In example, both comedians Bill Cosby and Dave Thomas both received a GED and became highly successful. (Schleicher 1).