It should be said that in coherent society a great deal of attention is given to education. Using various means of media, society promotes the belief that it is extremely vital to obtain good education as it could help a person in the future life. It is believed that in the age of rivalry and high tempos, the fact that a person has studied at some prestigious educational establishment could help him/her to achieve success and become prosperous. Additionally, the idea that education helps to obtain the knowledge, which is needed for career and development of a person, is also cultivated. That is why, it is possible to assume that the popularity of the given issue is high. However, at the same time, another fact that contradicts with the popular idea could be outlined. The problem is that along with the promotion of education a great number of young people drop out of high schools, preferring another way for their development. Under these conditions, the question about the main reasons for these dropouts and their aftermath appears.
It should be said that this problem is not new. There has always been a certain percent of students who dropped out because of a great number of various reasons, starting from academic failure end ending with the absence of the desire to continue education. However, under modern conditions, this question obtains especial significance. Various investigations of peculiarities of the given issue in the USA show that the rate of dropouts among high school students from urban areas is high (Chung, n.d.). Nevertheless, the threatening fact is that the shift in the main reasons for dropouts from some personal to political and economic ones could be observed. That is why, the given process could not be taken as unimportant or just as the manifestation of some personal problems of students anymore. One can acknowledge the fact that in terms of the promotion of the interest towards the education and attempt to increase educational standards, the constant increase of the number of dropouts could be taken as the failure of the economic and political aspect of the whole educational sector.
With this in mind, the necessity of the analysis of the given sphere becomes obvious as the problems of the educational sphere and young generation have a great impact on the state of society and could even lead to its collapse. Thus, it should also be said that the problem is also complicated by the fact that students from urban areas leave educational establishments more often than students residing in suburban areas. Besides, “nationwide study shows the magnitude of the gap: the average high school graduation rate in the nation’s 50 largest cities was 53 percent, compared with 71 percent in the suburbs” (Dillon, 2009, para. 4). That is why, it is possible to admit the tendency towards the growth of the gap between urban and suburban areas, which indicates the existence of some unique conditions that make students drop out in big cities. There is also another statistics that shows that about 30% of students choose to leave the high school and involve in some other kind of activity (Rumberger, 2001). It is obvious that the problem becomes more and more complicated.
However, talking about the great rate of dropouts, it is impossible not to mention the main reasons for this very process. Traditionally, there are three main groups of reasons, which are school-related reasons (mentioned by 77 percent of students), family-related reasons (34%) and work-related reasons (32%) (Rumberger, 2011). Students explained their desire to leave school by the fact that they do not like it, could not communicate with teachers or just fail to learn (Lund, 2009). Problems within a family or some other private issues were also very often mentioned.
Finally, the smallest part of students decided to leave school because their desire to work. However, nowadays, the shift of the main reasons could be observed. More and more young people drop out of high schools because of the complicated state of finances in their family. Economic reasons also obtain more and more popularity because of the peculiarities of the development of the consumer society as young people are forced to earn money. Finally, students leave schools because they see no perspective in the further studying as it would not help them to obtain the needed job because of the great rivalry and unfair competition. The last reason can also be taken as political one.
Thus, speaking about the economical aspect of high school dropouts, it is impossible to admit the tendency towards the increase of the cost of education, especially in some higher institutions. That is why, very often school graduates are not able to afford college and have to work hard in order to survive. Under these conditions, a certain percent of high school student prefer not to waste time and to leave school in order to find a job and earn some experience that would be helpful in their further life. Resting on these facts, one can admit the shift of the main reasons which make people leave high schools and look for a job.
The current society depends on the state of economy greatly and, that is why, young people realize the necessity and importance of money. Additionally, economy influences the state of households and very often families are not able to afford education for their children and guarantee their studying at college. With this in mind, it should be said that despite the great attention given to the sphere of education nowadays, there is the tendency for the increasing of the cost of educating which leads to the rise of the level of dropouts from high schools.
Additionally, it should also be said that economic reasons should not be taken separately and as the only problem that influences the sphere of education. However, it is vital to state the fact that in some degree economic problems result from some political failures connected with the given sphere. It should be said that policy determines the main ways of the development of the given sphere and outlines some peculiarities according to which it should function. That is why, one can admit the low efficiency of the policy in the given sphere because the level of dropouts increases and more and more potential students prefer to not to obtain education and involve in some other kind of activity (Doll, Eslami, & Walter, 2013).
However, it is also important to show that the education policy is not the only aspect of state policy that influences students. Besides, the general state of the country and society, which is the result of the activity of the government and its policy, also have the negative impact on peoples desire to obtain education. More and more young people become sure that studying at some institutions will not be able to provide some extra opportunities for them. In other words, the government is not able to create the clear and beneficial image of education that will be able to attract young people. Additionally, along with the weak image education comes the absence of the guaranty of the prosperous life for educated persons.
With this in mind, it is possible to state the fact that the current state of the sphere of education and society is not taken as attractive by potential students (Keeping kids in school: What research tells us about preventing dropouts, n.d.). Combination of various political and economic factors leads to the deterioration of the whole idea of education and its necessity. Moreover, high education cost and necessity to work to survive also repel young people from education.
Thus, resting on these facts, it is possible to make a conclusion. It should be said that the nowadays, the rate of dropouts from high schools remains high and there is the tendency towards its increase. However, the reasons that make students leave high school becomes more complicated. More and more young people realize the fact that education could not be the guaranty of a good job and prosperous life and decide to involve in some other kind of activity. That is why, it is possible to state the fact that nowadays, the combination of economic and political factors lead to the appearance of a great number of various problems in the sphere of education which could result in the further worsening of the situation. That is why, some steps to improve the image and prestige value of education should be made.
References
Chung, D. (n.d.). Drop Out rates. Web.
Dillon, S. (2009). Large Urban-Suburban Gap Seen in Graduation Rates. New York Times. Web.
Doll, J., Eslami, Z., & Walter, L. (2013). Understanding Why Students Drop Out of High School, According to Their Own Reports. Sage Open, 3(4). Web.
Keeping kids in school: What research tells us about preventing dropouts. (n.d.). Web.
Lund, C. (2009). Why are students dropping out of school? Web.
Rumberger, R. (2001). Why Students Drop Out of School and What Can be Done. Web.
Rumberger, R. (2011). Dropping out. Web.