Evening star., 1963-01-15
Continued From Page Al

back in school twice because
"I kept playing around"
He has had five jobs in the
last two years and has quit or
been fired from them all. He
wants to be boss, to get recog-
milton. If he does not get it, he
leaves.
"These kids get a kick out of
lgetting something for nothing"
said q District Recreation De-
partment employe who works
closely with the boys in Arthur's
neighborhood.
This boy likes to be top
dog because he wants recogni-
tion," he said. "He wants
Everything a boy should want.
He knows all the right things
to do, he's just got to make UP
his mind to do them"
Arthur himself does not know
why he keeps dropping out. He
went back to school once after
leaving and was given special
help in getting a part-time job
as a clerk-typist in the school
office at $1.52 per hour. His
sister could not understand why
that lazy boy" left school
again last November. He has
no Job now.
Outside Pressures
The school principal was
puzzled: Hes q nice boy, a
polite boy-I don't know what
his trouble Is" The schools
counselor felt that outside
pressures on Arthur, particu-
larly the gang, had been
stronger than the schools.
But Arthur says he wants to
get away from Washington and
his gang. II want to be by
myself, I don't want to know
nobody"
And while he seeks seclusion,
he cannot find 1t at home. In
his house in the slums live
one Of his stepfathers, his
mother, his sister, her husband
and eight other brothers and
sisters, most Of whom are Tile
gitimate. His sister dropped out
Of school after becoming preg-
nant at is. Now % years old.
she has six children.
Reading and speaking are
Arthur's main difficulties. He
is keenly aware Of the criticism
OF teachers and the jibes Of
classmates about his slurred
speech. School officials say the
lack Of such basic skills Is q
major factor In the dropout
problem.
Daily Routine
The only person Arthur can
really talk to is his girl friend.
His daily routine is filled by
petty gambling, athletics Che is
a fast runner and q promising
boxer), singing with q quartet.
hanging around street corners
and his girl. He wants her to
finish high school.
He has definite feelings on
love and marriage:
You can't say you love a
person. you can only say you
have a big emotional feeling
for them. You've got to have
faith in your wife and she's
got to have faith in you. Love is
to be happy together, to have
understanding-it's not Just
good looks and stuff like that"
As to his life so far, II really
fouled myself up by quitting
school," he said, almost crying.
Il want very much to 90 back
TO school. Someday my kid
might ask me something / don't
know and I'd be embarrassed.
I want to try to teach them
better than I am"
.- Vicious Circle
Experts agree that the ma
jority Of dropouts come from
homes like Arthur's, so econom-
ically and culturally impover-
ished that the children are
unable to learn much from
standard school work.
Discrimination, poor housing
and bad home situations only
add to problems already ac-
centuated by the normal
stresses Of adolescence.
When they leave school the
dropouts begin q vicious circle.
They cannot get a good job,
they become dissatisfied and
bitter and, as parents, do not
provide an educational atmos-
phere for their children. With