Dropout rates are rising, and what are parents and teachers doing? Maybe not enough. Though some may lament these students dropping out, our schools continue to lack plans to teach motivation. Parents and teachers don’t stress the fact that staying in school will help students succeed in life.

A 2006 study by the Department of Education found that 31 percent of American students are dropping out or failing to graduate in the nation’s 100 largest school districts. From what I can see, many parents are letting their children drop out, which shows that some students do not have enough support or encouragement to continue.

It is estimated that about 2,500 students drop out of high schools every day (ABC News). Writer Ruth Herman Wells says, “Schools expect youth and children to act as though school is important, but they never teach them to believe that.” That is why many students do not feel motivated to stay in school. Since some families are not helping their children become more involved in school, it’s up to teachers, counselors, and youth professionals to provide this training.

Researchers say they were surprised to find that a majority of 456 dropouts interviewed were not what most people would consider underachieving troublemakers. One third of the students said they were failing in school, but more than six out of ten were maintaining C averages or better when they quit. Almost half said they were bored or that the classwork seemed irrelevant. (Sometimes when I sit in math or science class, even I think, I’m never going to use this, why do I have to learn it?) Another dropout said, “There wasn’t any learning going on; they make you take classes you’re never going to use in life.” Three out of four said if they could turn the clock back they would choose to stay in school, and eight out of ten said they now recognize that a high school diploma is important to succeeding in life - a lesson learned too late.

Teachers need attention-grabbing strategies to convince students why they should stay in school. One is to have students name jobs that they can “always” do without a diploma. This will quickly highlight that jobs with the best pay and benefits require a diploma. Dropping out leaves you defenseless. There may be students who are happy they dropped out, but it is better to get an education and make the best of life.