Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Actually, we shouldn’t keep all students in high school until they’re 18
American Enterprise Institute (blogpost) ^ | January 26, 2012 | James Pethokoukis

Posted on 05/25/2022 12:15:56 PM PDT by syriacus

Should teenagers be forced to go to high school? Here’s President Obama from the State of the Union speech on Tuesday:

[Obama]: "We also know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen."

Another idea that sounds good as a bullet point in a speech, but not so much in reality.

(Excerpt) Read more at aei.org ...


TOPICS: Education; Society
KEYWORDS: arth; shootings
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last
Some kids are unable or unwilling to fit into a regular school day routine.

If teenagers who are 16 or older are not forced to attend classes, they might not build resentment toward teachers and fellow students. Also, they would no longer be as familiar with the school layout.

1 posted on 05/25/2022 12:15:56 PM PDT by syriacus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: syriacus

Take the GED at 16. Find a way for the motivated ones to leave early and get on with their lives. Too much wasted potential sitting in the classrooms going through the motions.


2 posted on 05/25/2022 12:19:58 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

Any 16 year old that can pass the GED would have a choice to make. I think the schools are scared to death of what they decide.


3 posted on 05/25/2022 12:21:46 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

from : https://www.mytexaspublicschool.org/preparing-and-enrolling-your-child/attendance-requirements.aspx

[Texas] State law requires children to attend school each day that instruction is provided. The law applies to children ages 6–19. If you voluntarily enroll your child in prekindergarten or kindergarten before age 6, school attendance laws apply to your child, too. A person who voluntarily enrolls in or attends school after turning 19 is also required to attend for the entire period of the program of instruction.

The following are a few exceptions:

Children who are enrolled in a private or parochial school
Children who are home-schooled
Students who are 17 years old and enrolled in a GED (high school equivalency) program
Students who are 17 years old and have received a high school diploma or GED certificate
Most other students of Texas public schools must comply with the compulsory attendance law.


4 posted on 05/25/2022 12:22:37 PM PDT by syriacus (2020 election night...The PAUSE heard round the world)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

“We” shouldn’t keep anyone else’s children in school at all.

Beyond American History, and the very basic reading, writing and arithmetic, there should be no “public education”.


5 posted on 05/25/2022 12:23:09 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

From Jan 26, 2012....


6 posted on 05/25/2022 12:23:11 PM PDT by exnavy (we are not a democracy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

I didn’t mind. It kept me from getting drafted until I was almost 19!


7 posted on 05/25/2022 12:24:04 PM PDT by Spok (Winston, how many fingers am I holding up?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

“Manual arts” / trade schools were a common sense alternative to high school in California years ago but were abolished when the liberals and leftists took charge of government and education.


8 posted on 05/25/2022 12:25:25 PM PDT by Qui is (First, never apologize to the enemy, and second, never forget that Biden spews and Harris swallows. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

No, get them in trade schools or apprenticeships... let them start working if they want... Maybe a few fundamental classes augmenting that, but I have no issues with that.


9 posted on 05/25/2022 12:26:41 PM PDT by HamiltonJay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

“The law applies to children ages 6–19.”

There’s something wrong with that sentence...


10 posted on 05/25/2022 12:33:27 PM PDT by Boogieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

What about the kids in adult romper room: AKA liberal arts colleges?


11 posted on 05/25/2022 12:37:05 PM PDT by dsrtsage ( Complexity is just simple lacking imagination)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

I was not fit for High Skrewel.

I tested out and went to college at 15 or the 10th grade.

My niece and nephew, twins, did the same and became doctors just 6 years later.


12 posted on 05/25/2022 12:37:40 PM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DIRTYSECRET

Not only did I leave high school but, I became an emancipated minor as well.

I was stopped by a cop while I was riding my bike to work at midnight.

He read me the riot and insisted he would arrest me for curfew the next time he saw me out.

I informed him that I am an emancipated minor and while he was free to charge me with adult crimes, he had nor authority over me as a juvenile.

He wanted my parent’s number so I gave it to him. She was in Oklahoma and I was in Santa Cruz, Ca.

She informed him that I was indeed emancipated and he still gave me the riot act.

At that point I pulled out my Santa Cruz Sheriff Explorer I.D. and gave him the name of the Sargent in charge of our group.

This guy was just pissed.

So, he called the Sargent and weirdly he calmed down.

Pretty sure the sargent didn’t appreciate the guy’s attitude and was informed that I was also the leader of our Search and Rescue team.


13 posted on 05/25/2022 12:43:37 PM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

How about a major tax break for companies that offer apprenticeships? Even small companies. And why not allow the motivated students that want an apprenticeship start at say age 16?

I know for a fact that a kid in an apprenticeship in most of the “Trades” will come out of that with a lot better math, communication (English) and other skills than most HS grads. I also know the apprentice will be told how to find what he/she needs to advance their other skills.

I know the fad today is for the HS grad to go to University to earn a degree, no matter how worthless or to “community college” to earn an Associates Degree in skilled trades, but to me there is no course taught in any school that can beat the On Job Training an apprentice receives


14 posted on 05/25/2022 12:46:15 PM PDT by Tupelo (Don't underestimate The Republican Party's ability to f*ck things up)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

High school in America is almost pointless. It’s little more than a holding pen to keep young people from competing for jobs with unionized workers. Kids who can do “college level work” should be in college. People who want to do trades should have the opportunity to pick from a laundry list of opportunities from Air Conditioning to Zoo Keeping. We could easily do this but of course the indoctrination would be much reduced.


15 posted on 05/25/2022 12:56:34 PM PDT by georgecorgi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: georgecorgi

I’ve said it before. A high school education now is equivalent to what an 8th grade education was in 1900.

They just added four years and spread things out in order to employ more teachers and warehouse kids. That’s it.


16 posted on 05/25/2022 1:04:35 PM PDT by DarrellZero
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

If a kid doesn’t want to be in high school, he should not be.

There has been a recent school shooting.

School shootings often are the result of kids not liking the school environment.


17 posted on 05/25/2022 1:07:43 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: syriacus

In my Florida town, the contractor is the economic king.

My neighbor Johnny the roofing contractor makes more than a typical doctor.


18 posted on 05/25/2022 1:09:22 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Qui is

They used to have manual arts - ‘shop’ - in Jr. high and high school. I think that may have interested a lot of young people to go into trade schools later.

When I went to school, the girls took ‘home ec’ - sewing, cooking - while the boys took shop. When my husband went, boys and girls were taking some of both.

I don’t think they have these things at all anymore (?)


19 posted on 05/25/2022 1:16:39 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Spok

The draft call ups ended while I was 17 (senior yr).

Mom had lost my older brother 5 days before he was to turn 16, to a farm accident 6 yrs before. Her best friend’s son was KIA in VN on June 6th, 1970, the date of her youngest daughter and my older brother’s birthday (which is how the two women met: sharing the same hospital room).

Mom possibly would have personally disabled me before letting me be drafted. She had also lost her only brother on his first B24 mission over Germany in 44.


20 posted on 05/25/2022 1:17:26 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson