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Make high school mandatory until age 18?

yllus

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
I finally got around to opening up the information envelope to the Ontario Liberal Party of Canada and was just leafing through their stance on education in our province. One part of their platform is:

We will make learning mandatory to age 18.

In a knowledge-based economy, it no longer makes sense for young people to be allowed to stop learning at the age of 16. Many young people leaving school early may be more engaged and better learners in other settings - whether it is in a training program, an apprenticeship or some other form of on-the-job learning.

We will require that all young people continue their education, either in school or in an approved out-of-school training experience until they reach 18 years or until they graduate.

We will expand programs for co-op placement and apprenticeships. We will also create a stronger, more integrated apprenticeship system that is more accessible to those entering the skilled trades and employers hiring them. And we will promote on-the-job learning in high-demand areas where there are chronic skill shortages.

You can browse through the OLPC's education platform by viewing this document:
http://www.ontarioliberal.com/2000/PDF/Excellence/Excellence%20English.pdf

I think there's a certain element of truth to the idea that we're not in the type of economy where a 16-year-old has a lot of opportunities in tradecraft or apprenticeships. On the other hand, a 16-year-old is NOT a child. He or she should be able to make some decisions about what direction they take with the next few years of their lives, and really, can you force a 16-yo to do well in high school if they don't want to? Might as well leave HS to the kids who see the value of being there.

I'll write a little letter at some point for the Ontario Liberal discussion lists, but would appreciate feedback. 🙂
 
I say school shoud be mandatory until the individual is through middle-school(8th grade). After that the individual should be able to make their own decision, with parental permission. The same goes for sex, no sex until the completion of 8th grade, after that it is okay.
 
Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
its mandatory in the states till 18 but you canadians are weird
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Actually, I'm pretty sure you can drop out of high school @ 16. Personally, I say leave it to parent's discretion provided the school cannot provide a reasonable counter-argument like student is 30 yrs old or is too disruptive. It provides political leverage for the education system and parents will still send their children to school til their 18 because good parents will want their children educated and bad parents will look at it as free babysitting like they do now.
 
No way! I was 17 when I graduated 😛 I would've had to take another year of school if a law like this was in effect?
 
Heck no, I think that four years of high school is an absolute waste. Two years of high school is enough for most people, I think, and then a different structure, more like community college. People are burned out by the time they finish high school. The amounts of inane homework given, much of which is unnecessary for the students to actually LEARN something, burns them out on learning. The people I know who skipped out, took a GED, and went on to college, love school a lot more. That could be the result of a third variable (greater intelligence, for instance) but I think that so much high school is really just beating a dead horse.
 
uh when did i say? that? 🙂😉

there can be sum problems actually with it being 18, because what if you excell in school and can graduate when ur 16?
 
Screw that, let those people drop out.

As they grow up, they'll understand that they really should finish school. If they don't well there may be good reason for it (they are happy with their lives) or they are just truely idiots.
 
They should have alternative high schools. If you are not college bound then todays HS system sucks, they should open up trade schools to teach people that won't go to college how to be a plumber or a carpenter instead of forcing them to be babysat for four years.
 
<< They should have alternative high schools. If you are not college bound then todays HS system sucks, they should open up trade schools to teach people that won't go to college how to be a plumber or a carpenter instead of forcing them to be babysat for four years. >>

Many countries in Europe and elsewhere do have this...not necessarily separate high schools, but a "vocational" track which is more of what you're talking about.
 
sounds like a good idea, especially since they don't say HS only, but inlclude apprenticeships or other "learning experiences"


One thing I want the Liberals to do is to cap tuition increases. From what I know, the tuition for regular undergrad degrees can't rise by more than 2%/year. But for my program, tuition rises about 15%/year. That's insane. Its already expensive as it is!
 
Originally posted by: Hatari Chic
Heck no, I think that four years of high school is an absolute waste. Two years of high school is enough for most people, I think, and then a different structure, more like community college. People are burned out by the time they finish high school. The amounts of inane homework given, much of which is unnecessary for the students to actually LEARN something, burns them out on learning. The people I know who skipped out, took a GED, and went on to college, love school a lot more. That could be the result of a third variable (greater intelligence, for instance) but I think that so much high school is really just beating a dead horse.
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I agree 2 years of the 4 year high school program are practically a complete educational waste. But I think for most people they are very necessary for social development, or at least thats what I would say after looking at the others in my class then. At 16 most people are just starting to find themselves and finally beginning to grow up a little bit, college wouldn't be a good place for them I don't think.

I don't think school should be mandatory after 16 though either. If someone doesn't want to learn they won't and they'll only be disruptive to those who want to. I wonder what would happen though if we came up with something along the lines of, if you leave school without a diploma....then no welfare for you. If you think you can do fine, then go ahead, but you're being given an opportunity now, take it or don't turn to us if your plan doesn't work out...... Not saying it would be a good idea but its an interesting one.

 
There is definatly a lot of people out there who need more then 4 years of highschool because they think life is a joke and they can get by failing. 2 years of hs and then 2 years of some sort of community college style thing would be better then 4 years of hs.
 
A good friend of mine has told me that in North Carolina, a parent is required to keep a roof over a child's head until he is 18, but the child is required to go to school only until he is 16. One of her neighbours has a son who decided to drop out and literally sits around all day; there's nothing she can do about that. Someone at the least needs to normalize those minimum ages.
 
the more education the better, at least thats what i think. either way, im studying until im done with college so im neautral.

although id like to see more people learn for a longer time.
 
Originally posted by: Hatari Chic
Heck no, I think that four years of high school is an absolute waste. Two years of high school is enough for most people, I think, and then a different structure, more like community college. People are burned out by the time they finish high school. The amounts of inane homework given, much of which is unnecessary for the students to actually LEARN something, burns them out on learning. The people I know who skipped out, took a GED, and went on to college, love school a lot more. That could be the result of a third variable (greater intelligence, for instance) but I think that so much high school is really just beating a dead horse.
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you're joking right? The amount and the material taught in remedial classes are so easy no one should fail them. Insane homework? hardly.

the education quality (in california) is pathetic, there are students that can't write, don't know grammar, don't know simple arithmetic, etc. After so many years of schooling EVERYONE should meet MINIMUM standards before they graduate from high school. Failing to do so is really pathetic (I'm NOT talking about college prep classes, I'm talking about the easiest classes you can take and graduate if you're not going to college). This isn't about personal choice, this is for the benefit of the society and the individual that they at least have the essential skills to function in this society.
 
Originally posted by: SuperTool
I graduated HS at 16. Why should I stay in HS till 18 when I could be a sophomore/junior in college by then?
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read the proposal again, you can graduate before 18 but you can't drop out before 18

"We will require that all young people continue their education, either in school or in an approved out-of-school training experience until they reach 18 years or until they graduate."
 
Originally posted by: kenleung
Originally posted by: SuperTool
I graduated HS at 16. Why should I stay in HS till 18 when I could be a sophomore/junior in college by then?
Click to expand...

read the proposal again, you can graduate before 18 but you can't drop out before 18

"We will require that all young people continue their education, either in school or in an approved out-of-school training experience until they reach 18 years or until they graduate."
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what if I graduate at 16 and say, yep, I had enough of school? Isn't that my right?
What if I don't want to go to college?
 
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