The U.S. School Dropout Problem

The U.S. School Dropout Problem

Our very own WAY Board President, James Bosco, published an article on the U.S. school dropout problem. Read the first section below,

The first school compulsory attendance law in the United States was enacted in Massachusetts in 1852. Other states soon followed, but it was not until the early 20th century that all states in the union had such a law. In the 19th and early 20th century the enforcement of compulsory school attendance laws by school or government officials was usually quite sketchy, but in those years, the student who dropped out of school had a reasonably good chance of finding a job, since there was high demand for semi-skilled and even unskilled laborers. The nature of the American workplace as it now exists puts the young person without a high school diploma who is seeking a job with an adequate wage in a precarious situation. Even a high school diploma may not be sufficient to put the young person on a good path with opportunity to move up the employment ladder. Additional education may be required, whether it is in a community college, a technical certification program, or a four year college.

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