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High School Drop-Outs
"I’ve had friends who have threatened to drop out because of failing every portion of the Georgia Graduation Test or because they weren’t able to handle the pressure of their classes."
By Aubrey Williams
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In some of the largest school systems across the country — from Atlanta to Oakland — nearly half of the students are dropping out before graduation. Youth Radio's Aubrey Williams comments on this alarming trend in urban education, as he reflects on why his friends decided to leave school too early.
I have a friend who dropped-out of high school. I can tell you the reasons she did it don’t add up to an answer to Georgia’s drop-out problem.
It’s unfair to judge those who have dropped out if you don’t know their history. These aren’t just lazy teens who do drugs or hang out with the wrong crowd. They may have pressure, anxiety, or problems at home. Georgia may have one of the highest drop-out rates in the country, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that teens in our state are stupid or dimwitted.
Another friend of mine experienced a social issue where she couldn’t handle high school. She didn’t drop her education, but she switched to being home-schooled.
I’ve had friends who have threatened to drop out because of failing every portion of the Georgia Graduation Test or because they weren’t able to handle the pressure of their classes.
Teens drop-out everyday and some of them actually make something of themselves, such as Peter Jennings – he became somebody who had a great impact on the world.
And some students who drop-out end up going back to school and obtaining a degree. Maybe it wasn’t their time to make it, so they waited for a better moment later in life.
Dropping-out is not always about making the grade, but making the best choice for yourself based on your circumstances. Maybe it’s time that we stop placing judgment and actually look beyond the fact that a student dropped out, and actually consider why.
- Aubrey Williams is a reporter at VOX Newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia.
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