Dropout Rates In Educational Institutions Of Different Countries - Research Paper Example

Dropout Rates In Educational Institutions Of Different Countries Introduction: High School and college dropout rates point to serious problems that are associated with it. Naturally, such students are less likely to get employment that those that complete their education. There are many reasons for student dropouts from schools and colleges, and poverty is one of them. Although student loans and scholarships are offered to students but it fails to prevent many students from dropping out. Body: Overall, the reasons for school and college dropouts are the same for every country but the rates are different in each country that reflects the efficiency or inefficiency of government policies for eradicating this problem. From each country, represent cases from different areas/localities/income groups/ethnicity/gender. Find out the most common reasons for dropout e.g. financial, personal, teen pregnancy, drugs etc. In case of immigrants, or foreign students, language barrier is also a main reason of dropping out of school. 1. “Although high school graduates are attending college in record numbers, four in 10 are not adequately prepared for the courseload that awaits them, and are thus forced into remedial classes when they start college. This fact contributes to a staggering number of students pursing a bachelor’s degree -- 42 percent, according to the infographic -- to drop out.” (Huffington Post) Course load: It seems that many students somehow manage to finish their high school but are not prepared for the challenging studies ahead. College education for such students becomes really tough which eventually forces many of them to drop out. In such cases, the academic performance of students during their high school comes into question because apparently it did not prepare them for the tough studies ahead. Although, in colleges remedial classes are offered to such students that are not doing well in their courses, but if they have a weak grasp over their chosen courses then there is a possibility that they would not be able to pull it through college. Joining remedial classes requires extra effort on the part of the students and this may be a problem for those students that are working part-time or have other family related responsibilities. The stress of the course-load for students with below-average academic performance may be over whelming to an extent that they drop out of college/university. The percentage of such students is quite high-42%. This fact either pinpoints to poor quality of primary and elementary education imparted in schools; or other problems like language barriers, which are more common in non-native students or students belonging to ethnic minorities. 2. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson California said: "Our research shows that chronic absence from school, even as early as kindergarten, is a strong indicator of whether a child will drop out of school later…The dropout rate shows there's still much work to be done, particularly to address the needs of disadvantaged and minority students. We must build on our work with parents and communities in the earliest years to pave the way for kids to succeed in school." (California Department of Education) The early years of education are very important in the academic life of students. In this regard, parents can play a vital role in inspiring their children to take their studies seriously. They are the ones that can establish a consistent school-going routine since the early school years, in order to avoid unnecessary absences from school. Unfortunately, children belonging to low income communities and ethnic minorities, where schooling is not encouraged by parents are most likely to exhibit such behavior. In such cases, parents need support and counseling from schools to make them understand the importance of school education. The administration of schools located in such areas where this kind of problem is prevalent should carry out extensive counseling programs for such families and communities and explain to them the advantages of sending their kids to school. 3. “The demographic shift has played out on a small scale in Duncanville I.S.D., a district of about 13,000 students on the outskirts of Dallas — and one that has not seen the same success with dropout problems as others in the state. There, in the last eight years, the number of economically disadvantaged students has jumped to 75 percent from 49 percent. Its Hispanic population has risen to 48 percent from 17 percent. Its graduation rates have not risen at the same pace as the statewide figures. Bucking the statewide trend, they declined from 2006 to 2009”. (Smith, The New York Times) An article published in The New York Times points to the issue of dropouts particularly in the outskirts of main cities like Duncanville I.S.D. The population of this area has increased over the years with a simultaneous increase in college dropouts. This area is inhabited predominantly by the economically disadvantaged Hispanic community, and this seems to be the prime reason of the increase in dropout rates. Another factor for such high dropouts is the over population in this area. Over population in itself is a huge problem and it is difficult for large families to support the education of all the children. Thus, the percentage of students that dropout has increased from 49% to 75%- which is a huge jump in the last 8 years, during which the dropout rate has been steadily declining elsewhere in the United States. 4. “The Higher Education Statistics Agency revealed that just 1.4% of students at the University fail to complete their course, compared to more than 1 in 5 undergraduates leaving before the end of their first year of study at other institutions. Bolton University was shown to have the highest dropout rate, with 45% of students failing to complete their degrees.” (Pugh, The Cambridge Student) In the UK, the dropout rate is different for undergraduates and university going students. 5. “Neighborhood and economic factors also contribute to teen dropout rates (Fischer& Kmec, 2004)...) (Martin and Fabes, 497) 6. “Although the dropout rates are about the same for males and females, the rates are not the same for students from different ethnic groups or different income levels… for example, Latino teenagers in the United States have higher status dropout rates than either whites or blacks.” (ed. Lerner, Lerner and Finkelstein, 613) 7. “American research (Nguyen et, al. 2001, p.2) indicates that approximately 13 percent of youth aged 18-24 have not completed high school, a rate that remained stable through the 1990’s. The Canadian Youth Transition Survey found a comparable high school dropout rate of 12 percent in 2000… In the UK, the dropout rate is particularly problematic, with 23 percent of those aged 15-19 not enrolled in an educational institution…” (Tyyska, 71) References: U.S. Graduation Rate, Unemployment Compared To Other Nations In Infographic. Huffington Post. Posted: 06/26/2012 3:31 pm Updated: 06/26/2012 3:31 pm. US edition. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/infographic-shows-how-us-_n_1628187.html State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reports Climb in Graduation Rates for California Students. Release: #12-65 June 27, 2012. California Department of Education News Release. Web. http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr12/yr12rel65.asp Pugh, Laura. Cambridge University has UK’s Lowest Dropout Rate. The Cambridge Student. Wednesday, April 4th, 2012. http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/issue/news/cambridge-university-has-uks-lowest-dropout-rate/ Smith, Morgan. July 22, 2012. Texas’s Dropout Rate Shows Positive Signs. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/education/texas-public-school-dropout-rate-on-the-decline.html?pagewanted=all Martin, Carol & Richard Fabes. Discovering Child Development. 2nd edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Print. Lerner, Jacquiline., Learner, Richard, & Jordan Finkelstein. Adolescence in America: An Encyclopedia, Volume 2. California: ABC_CLIO, 2001. Print. Tyyska, Vappu. Youth and Society: The Long and Winding Road. 2nd edition. Totonto: Cnadian Scholars’ Press Inc., 2009. Print. Read More