The Importance of Education in America.

The Importance of Education in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />America.

            The importance of education in America is a topic which has been up for debate for many years. The percentage of children dropping out of school rises each year across the states. Depending on which state, the average legal drop out age is sixteen. The legal drop out age should be increased across America and there should be severe consequences for dropping out of school. Some ways to help children stay in school would include: increasing the legal drop out age, having the school year be all year round, and allowing a high-school diploma to weigh more than a GED. All these reasons would help the children of America be where they should be at their age- “In School”.

            Increasing the legal drop out age to eighteen would help children stay in school longer. In America we have many legal requirements that don’t allow kids to do anything until their eighteen years of age or older: i.e. voting, driving, smoking, drinking, buying a gun, buying lottery tickets, and gambling. If children aren’t old enough to do legal adult activities then they are certainly not old enough to make the adult decision to drop out of school. I understand that all children have different “home environments” and might not have the same adult guidance/supervision like other children have, therefore the government needs to be that parent and keep children in school. We all need to realize that dropping out of school is an important decision and no one under the age of eighteen is wise enough to make that decision. Most children want to do what they want and not what is best for their future. America would be much better off increasing the legal drop out age to eighteen because this would keep children off the streets and out of trouble and inside a classroom where they belong.

            Secondly, having the school year be all year round would also help children stay in school. It would also allow the children to finish school early and not be bored with school. When the school year is all year round, the children finish and graduate school earlier than the schools that take those long summer breaks. Also, when the children are going to school non stop for the four years and are taking little two week breaks in-between, the children tend to not get bored with school because they are going all the time and don’t have long breaks of doing nothing. Going to school all year long would also help children with the information that they are learning in school. When a child goes on summer vacation they tend to forget everything they learned the year before and sometimes going to back to school is a review lesson for many children. When you stay in school with no long breaks it’s a continuous learning circle so you don’t have time to forget what you learned the previously year. America would definitely be much better off having their school years all year round and eliminating summer break because this will ultimately help out the children in the end with their educational learning.

            Lastly, allowing a high-school diploma to weigh more than a GED would also help children stay in school. One reason for a child to drop out of school would be that they don’t want to do all the work accompanied with obtaining a high-school diploma therefore, a child decides to drop out school with the intent of getting a GED. According to Wikipedia, to receive a GED all that is required is for an individual to take a test in five subjects and pass by more than sixty percent (www.wikipedia). Then they receive a certificate stating that they have “high school level academic skills” (www.wikipedia). This GED is seen to be equivalent to a high school diploma but in actuality it is not. A person with a high school diploma went to school for four years to receive their diploma, while a person with a GED took a three-four hour test and receives a certification that equals a high school diploma; that’s not fair at all! America needs to make it so that a high school diploma weighs more than a GED on all levels. A person with a GED needs to see the consequences to their actions and realize they can’t get ahead in life by quitting. Therefore, America needs to take a stand against children dropping out of school and encourage them to stay in school by having a high school diploma to help get individuals further than a GED would.

            In conclusion, the importance of education in America is a topic that will always be significant to its citizens. Everyone needs to take a look at the bigger picture of children dropping out of school and realize that today’s children are our future leaders and business women/men of tomorrow. The ways that I listed to help children stay in school are some key aspects that will bring positive results. I am a firm believer in my three ways to help America’s children stay in school and if everybody agreed with me then we could have less drop outs and more high school diplomas than GEDs. The government needs to reevaluate its education policy and help get the children back in school where they need to be so that they can have a prosperous future.