Jolanda, "They brought them up, they can deal with them." some merit in that but in many cases the issue is much more complex. Add in social workers, a family law system which favours sole parenting in single parent households, governments which pay teenagers to move out of home if they don't like the discipline, schools which are limited in options to deal with discipline problems (and resourcing for that seemingly being at the headmasters discression) and the issue can be much more than the parents choices. In the cases where it is just bad parenting then taking those kids away from other adult involvement might be shifting the problem to the courts.

Back to the original topic I suspect that instead of forcing kids to do seniour we might be better placed to look at how we help adults get back and further their education. I was fortunate as an adult when I went to Uni that I had an employer who helped both with some of the fee costs and some leave to attend lectures, exams etc. Many people don't get that and in many cases where people are just getting by the additional burden of out of hours study, text books, uni fees etc would make it an impossible dream. I'd done senior so I did not have to try and do that as an adult. Can we make that process easier for people?

R0bert

RObert..
the problem with retention rates at school seems to be one of relevancy..My daughter has just left highschool and I had a devil of a time trying to convince her to complete year 12..she pulled out 3 months prior to completion.
Schools make the mistake of not sufficiently explaining to students why and how there subjects relate to the real world..mostly they dont see the point in what their doing..

If they took the time to explain that this 'really boring subject' is very useful because..etc..they need to explain to them and treat them like adults, because at 15-18 they feel they ARE adults and they are.
I had exactly the same problem..i used to question 'why am i learning algebra? its useless, ill never use it'

If students see the relevancy of what there studying as being instrumental to where they ultimately want to go then I think we,d find far greater students completing yr 12 and follow thru to Uni etc.

Taurus, good points there I’d like to add some.

Good teaching (no matter what the content) should at the least captivate any high school student, at as I know it at all.
the most, should inspire.

My 14 year attends a school where the teachers 'lecture' instead of 'teach'. They stand up the front and preach - not . I have no idea where and why they do this because they don’t know what they are doing. Most of it I suspect is just big noting to students.

Its NOT teaching as I know it at all.

He loses interest their and then because he’s lost contact with the teacher (who is busily trying to be a university lecturer).

I suspect that they all do this in the school because they think this is preparing them for a university teaching and learning environment. But it does not!

Yes its ok if all you are wanting students to do is information gathering for regurgitation in exams, "but it aint teaching".

Interestingly, when I lecture I try to teach. My students are there because they want to be, high school students are there because schooling is mandatory. (in some states).

You be surprised how many first year university students are when they encounter a lecturer who can actually teach!

The competitive nature of schooling and curriculum has created teaching and learning environments across the education sector that are pedagogically inconsistent, ad hoc and industry focused rather than student centred. Let us teach them now, they will work soon enough.

Taurus, I believe your daughter is smarter than the system that tried to teach her.