Education should be a privilege, not a right

1. You keep trying to trivialize my point of view. I'm not saying that students who get a detention should be expelled. I'm saying students that prove year after year that they want no part of being in school, who try to ensure that the entire class gets as little done as possible, who make it that much harder for students to get into college because valuable class time was wasted and now the class doesn't know as much as it should. I'm talking about a societal change... If it came down to the realization that somebody could actually not have the opportunity to receive and education, and education would be highly encouraged and people would understand. You bring up 16 being the drop out age because that's when people understand repercussions. At 16, don't you think most people understand that, say, drinking has some negative effects? Why is the legal drinking age 21? And smoking. Sophomores in high school understand that smoking is bad, yet the smoking age is 18. 2. Then for these parents who torture/neglect their children, aren't these children being taught that the abuse is okay? Why should we continue the cycle? What do you believe the grades look like of children who suffer abuse? If they believe their life is horrible, the thought of not having school as a safe haven would allow them to realize that they really need to kick it in gear and get something done. There's a difference between not making the grade because you choose not to try, and because you don't understand. Those who don't do as well, but are there after school trying to understand, who ask questions in class, who work extremely hard at trying to "get it", who make an effort... they're not being targeted, they wouldn't feel any repercussions. It's those who try to drag a class down that my idea tries to help. Luckily, I've never been in a position where abuse was ever something I had to worry about. However, there are some smart people in this world, somebody's bound to notice. There are ways to anonymously tell SRS that you're being abused, and SRS will ensure that a child won't be submitted to more abuse because paperwork got filed. I can only imagine what that would be like, and I realize it's easy for me to say, but I would be doing whatever it took to get out of that situation. Being forced into more abuse is the exact reason they wouldn't be kicked out of school. They would realize that "maybe life at school isn't much fun, but it's so much worse at home. I want to stay in school as long as possible!" Child labor laws exist so that children don't have to get jobs, actually can't get jobs, until about 14 or 15. And should a child die from lack of food or excessive beating, the blood is on their parents hands, and that's not something an abusive parent wants to go through. Situations of child abuse happen today, and they'll continue to happen as long as this apathy is allowed to continue. 3. If a parent couldn't be there or was going to be abusive and neglectful of their child, it seems to me like they shouldn't have had a child. Once again, the system has taught parents that a school will take care of their problems. School's being a second set of parents is a bad thing because it limits what can get done. If we have to spend half an hour explaining to Johnny why it's wrong to hit people instead of learning our colors, then next year we don't know our colors, so instead of learning to read, we learn our colors. You can see how big this gap gets at the end of 13 years of schooling. Exactly, "it is sad that some parents refuse to feed their children". Parents need to assume some responsibility and actually take an interest in their child. If the students feel like the school cares about them, why don't they take an interest in it? Why don't they latch onto it as their one true friend? No I don't want these children to starve and become criminals; I want them to take an interest in their future and be the best they can be, to get involved and completely unleash their potential. It's not too hard to see when somebody is actually making an effort or not. Plus, school counselors have enormous amounts of information pertaining to students. Simply starting up a conversation with someone, and continuing that conversation, is enough to figure out what someone's about and why they are the person they are. 1) 16 is either a sophomore or a junior depending on birthday. I'd argue (and am arguing) that the realization happens sooner, and would happen even sooner if people realized that an education didn't have to wait on them. When you say they will do a lot of crime if we don't educate them, why does it matter if they don't learn anything up until 5th grade, or don't learn anything up until 10th grade? To the person refusing education, why does it matter when they stop attending if they aren't going to pull anything out of school anyway? 2) And if they don't think they need an education, how are they going to get one by simply going to school? They have to be active and participate. They have to do their homework. They have to focus, and study, and appreciate it. How is simply showing up going to do anything for them? It's not! And that's why they choose to do absolutely nothing and slow the whole class down. Trying "really hard to give it to them" is proving futile, something needs to change. Forcing them into the current? They made a conscience decision to still refuse their education... that sounds like they made a choice to me. Rules in which: * Abused children embrace school and make a better life for themselves * Children understand the value of an education sooner * Should someone be kicked out and realize their errors, they could still get a high-school equivalency diploma. I'm not being selfish... how is promoting the value of an education being selfish? It's like teenagers don't recognize the value of a dollar until they start working, some students, i don't think, understand the value of an education. Because it's always going to be there for them (under the current system) 4) If it's true that children are learning about the importance of a good education, why do we continue to have problems? You argue that my idea makes things more difficult, and widens the gap between the rich and poor. From a short term perspective, things might, key word might, get a little rough, but from a long term perspective, everything will work out and the U.S. will be even better. It doesn't widen the gap between rich and poor, it raises the standard of living across the whole nation. When people realize that an education is something to be treasured, they'll embrace it and excel through school. They'll become intelligent, rational people who will go to college and get good paying jobs. Jobs that they can use to provide a better lifestyle for the next generation, which will do the same in turn. I. It's not game over. High school equivalency would still exist. All that happens is students are allowed to go deeper and further while in school than ever before I wouldn't consider it luck, but having connections would help that process along. All that had to happen was somebody had to have a good idea and run with it. I'm not taking opportunities away from anyone unless they demonstrate that they don't want they opportunity being given to them. By that same logic, a sales person should just follow people around all day until finally the person buys their product. It's borderline harassment! More difficult? Acquisition of education stays the same. As long as you want to take what's being offered, you can have it. You don't have to come from a good home to succeed. Those who come from "bad" homes and succeed today don't throw their education down the drain. They can't get enough education. That doesn't change. Right now, school doesn't seem to give people much hope. It doesn't seem like a solution to me.