Obama proposes requiring students to stay in high school

[Marcus Kehoe]

I like it, I don't think anyone is really happy they dropped out.

Oh? And what about the teenager who's father left him, his quadriplegic mother, and baby sister who has HIV? How does he get a job and do school full time? Or what about the girl who is completely homeless? Eh, school, job, staying alive, I'm sure she can make time.

What you trying to make me feel bad with that, of course under situations like these the situation changes. But most cases aren't like that.

Usually it's student being to lazy to finish the their schooling, or at least with my school that was the situation. No kid I knew that dropped out had any reason good enough to dropout, just were lazy. This is different in many schools but If I had to guess most dropouts are leaving school for frivolous reason's not true reasons like you listed.

 

[Rasputin1]

I know I'm just repeating points already made but I'll throw in my two cents.

I see what he's getting at, education is definatley helpful when trying to find work. But it's not the right way to go about it. If someone truly doesn't want to be in school, they're not going to care. They won't learn anything, or not much at least. Plus it's a poential burden on the people who do care about their education.

As someone earlier posted, about Italy having specific schools dedicated to specific subjects, that sounds like a much better idea than this.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

So a Democrat is forcing someone to do something because they know better then they do. Maybe they should improve the American school system so kids feel confident in High School and stay in. To bad he can't because the two largest lobby group in the U.S. are the teacher's unions.

Maybe they should just have all the high schools offer an insane amount of AP and Honors courses so that kids can get As for doing B work. That's probably how my high school has been well praised for many years (especially since a few years back there were some pretty awesome and caring instructors and we didn't get any kind of recognition whatsoever).

 

[AnotherAvatar]

High Schools are brainwashing facilities. I dropped out my sophomore year, am now in college, and (not bragging as this isn't saying much) I'm generally smarter than the other freshmen in my class.

Granted SOME High Schools are more than this, but these are mostly private or schools for the 'exceptional', both of which mean the majority of kids won't be setting foot inside them (except the wealthy, which is a shrinking class in America, may I remind you). With the 'no student left behind' thing most teachers are just struggling to get the majority of their class to respond to tests in a robotic fashion so they can keep their jobs, the days of having pride in our public education system are long gone.

So basically, forcing kids to finish up high school could be viewed as something akin to prison, unless of course they let them test out via GED still, in which case I guess I can drop any complaint (except the fact that this country's public school system is absurd).

I wish our politicians were good enough to take pay cuts from their absurd salaries (not to mention kick backs from major corporations) to make it so teachers can feel confident in their job's stability so they can again gather great teachers who are able to teach with confidence and the fluidity required to shape the ever-changing-minds of generations to come.

 

[Arakasi]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Watch.
The whole education system needs reformed, probably before they stop making people go to high school.

 

[balanovich]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/politics/2012/01/24/sotu-obama-education.cnn

1:02

In his state of the union speech, Obama got on the topic of education. One of the biggest things that got me listening was obama requesting that states make laws that require kids to finish high school or until they turn 18.

What do you guys think of this? Should kids be required to finish high school?

I fully agree with the principal.

I the problem I have with this is that he's making a law that's forcing people to make laws... I don't think it's good lawmaking to make them resentfully or against your will or better judgement.

How will law be enforced? What will be the penalty for breaking them?
If a kid doesn't want to go to school, what do you do? Send him to juvee? A criminal record, what a nice career start!

I think that in a few European countries, if you'r not in schol and under 18 you go in the army. Or maybe more the national guard. Something in which you can't be sent to fight wars but you still have to shave you head, to push-ups in the mud at 5 AM and yell "yes Sir!" a lot. I think that's much better.


Something I found a bit disappointing is when he talked about the cost of University. He mentioned the Universities responsibility regarding tuitions, the Federal government's regarding loan interests and the states'. Ok fine. But Couldn't he just pass a law to regulate the banks' students loan condition? Why can't the government have a say on the interest rate students get ? It's done in many countries.
I guess it gets a lot of balls to tell the banking system what to do.

 

[Treblaine]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/politics/2012/01/24/sotu-obama-education.cnn

1:02

In his state of the union speech, Obama got on the topic of education. One of the biggest things that got me listening was obama requesting that states make laws that require kids to finish high school or until they turn 18.

What do you guys think of this? Should kids be required to finish high school?

Is this an Executive or Legislative area? And would it be under State or Federal?

I suppose you could pass a law enforcing truancy on under 18's who aren't in school mon-fri unless they have special dispensation.

Do all schools in US receive federal funding? In which case it would be under the President's office in which case he could just sign an executive order and say "Stay in school till 18 or I cut funding and you all live in a crumbling shithole"

That's how the 21 drinking age got passed nationally, by an executive decision threatening to withold federal funding for all highways to any state that didn't have legislators set drinking age as 21. Totally bypasses the division of power between federal and state level, but I don't think the founding father imagined each state would become as dependant on federal funding back in 1780's.

Right now, this is just talk. Obama could have said the same thing after he retired and it would have as much weight.

This is on a state-by-state basis could be done and I expect it will, gradually. If for no other reason than to "get kids off the street" than actually improve education prospects. And not to mention the issue of funding, many schools may depend on the dead weight who can't/won't learn beyond 16 leaving to dedicated to study with relatively lower student-to-teacher ratio.

 

[Treblaine]

I spoke to a friend about this and she mentioned people that drop out because their families have bills to pay. And I think it's a good point. Are you going to force them to go back to school when circumstances may require them elsewhere? Poverty isn't a pretty thing.

And most places in America crack down pretty hard on 14 year olds sweeping a McDonald's floor during school hours.

drop out at 16, not 14.

 

[ablac]

I feel that people who drop out or may drop out should have help finding a career or at least a job better than what they might find on their own. However if somebody is ailing forcing them to stay in school for a few more years is pointless as they are not going to suddenly turn around and become employable. It is simply a waste of money and a waste of time for those who would drop out who would be better served having extra attention given to them and help finding something by the school or the government (state or federal) while they are still young.

 

[revjor]

There is no point to this. Keeping me in high school would have cost taxpayers thousands of dollars for me to not give a shit for two extra years. I had no intention of graduating and a school system full of people like me would be a distraction and bad example to have around students who actually want to get a diploma.

I have never needed help paying bills, finding a home, paying the rent, feeding myself or anything of the sort. I have better health, life, dental, eye than most people in the city of Seattle. I have never taken unemployment or any government benefits of any sort, never found myself scrounging food banks or parents for a meal.

You really don't need a diploma to succeed or be happy in this world.
Work hard. Think harder. It's that simple.

 

[Marcus Kehoe]

What you trying to make me feel bad with that, of course under situations like these the situation changes. But most cases aren't like that.

Usually it's student being to lazy to finish the their schooling, or at least with my school that was the situation. No kid I knew that dropped out had any reason good enough to dropout, just were lazy. This is different in many schools but If I had to guess most dropouts are leaving school for frivolous reason's not true reasons like you listed.

So why is it okay for them to drive, live on their own, have a job, and serve in the military if they still are forced to go to school? What if ADULTS just don't want to?

You what, while we are at it, let's ban cigarettes. They are bad for you. Alcohol too. And games, because those waste time. TV rots your brain, so it's banned. Let's ban books, because they can cause headaches. No, no, trust me, it's for your own good. Who said anything about freedom?

Schooling is such a great privilege that a lot of people don't get the chance to have.

I'm pretty sure it said once people turn 18 they have freedom of choice to drop or not. But for kids under 18 it is in their best interest to stay in school if they have the ability too.

I will not back down because of the less than relating things you put above, School is for one's benefit and if they pas up that opportunity then under most circumstances they will suffer for it in the future.

How the hell do you go from making kids under 18 stay in school to book and tv banning, maybe in a sopa conversation but in a country where the education of the youth of america is deterioration. Some more responsibility most be put on the student's not just the schools.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Making it compulsory for young people to stay in school longer is one of the oldest tricks in the book for artificially reducing unemployment figures. That's all this is. Politics.

 

[Jadak]

I came into this thread intending to say no, then saw the "or until they turn 18" part and honestly thought that already was a law. Maybe it is here, probably not. Whatever.

As long as it's only until 18, that's fine. Although something that does come to mind, what exactly does "requiring it" entail? What do you do if they chose to simply stop going anyways? Charge their parents? Throw some kids in jail for not being in school?