Essay/Term paper: High school drop-outs

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Education

Cause And Effect Essay
High School Drop-outs


Dropping out of high school is an issue faced by many teens today. It
results from a few main common causes. One is often a lack of involvement in
extra-curricular activities. Another revolves around the parents not being
forceful in demanding that their children commit to staying in school. A third
cause is the absence of effort exerted by students to be successful in their
studies.

Why do teenagers lose their interest in school? When students are not
successful with their studies it often starts a negative downward spiral in their
commitment to school. When they feel less positive about school they generally
are less interested in extra-curricular activities - sports, music, clubs. For many
students, it is their success in extra-curricular activities that fuels their desire to
remain in school. If students have no success in either academic or extra-
curricular activities they have no incentives to go to school. Consequently, they
have no attachment to their school.

Too many parents are not firm enough with their children and their
education. Parents fail to impress upon their children the importance of
remaining in school and that dropping-out is detrimental to their future.
Sometimes teens drop-out because of a lack of fear instilled into them by
their parents. Many teens have little or no parental supervision. Coupled with a
lack of communication skills between parents and teens, the result can be a lack
of involvement with school.

There is an absence of effort put forth by many of today's students. They
seem quite lackadaisical and have no discipline when it comes to their studies.
Continual failure is often a prescription for tremendous overload and stress. It
tends to amount to the self-fulfilling prophecy of dropping-out. Dropping-out is
their only escape.

Dropping-out can be prevented. Selling teens on the benefits of staying
in school requires continual effort and a great expenditure of time. Parents have
to be more in tune with their children's needs and desires and be willing to help
them cope with their troubles. Parents must be more forceful in encouraging
their teenagers to remain in school. But teens themselves must take the
initiative to accept responsibility for their future and they must put forth more
effort into their studies. Students' successful involvement in extra-curricular
activities is beneficial in raising their self-esteem. These methods of prevention
may seem excessive but the results outweigh the initial struggle.