Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman on Wednesday hailed President Obama’s call for raising the compulsory school attendance to 18 years of age, noting that she has sponsored a New Jersey bill to accomplish the same goal. The bill would raise the age requirement for compulsory school attendance from 16 to 18 years of age. Students who graduate high school before their 18th birthday would be exempt.
“Societal changes and the increasing demands of the labor market continue to place a premium on education,” said Watson Coleman (D-Mercer/Hunterdon). “A person who stops attending school at age 16 will always lack the skills and preparation to successfully compete in the workforce and function in society. Requiring students to attend school until they’re 18 will help ensure that students receive an adequate education and are sufficiently prepared to compete in the labor market.”
High school drop outs are more likely to live in poverty, receive government assistance, become involved in crime and suffer from poor health.
“Quite simply – and quite tragically – too many of our students are being allowed to walk away before they’ve completed their education and built a foundation for their future,” Watson Coleman said. “Futures are being lost under our current law.”
According to reports, high school dropouts cost between $320 billion and $350 billion annually in lost wages, taxable income, health, welfare and incarceration costs. About a quarter of those who entered high school this year won’t earn a diploma, and according to the National Center for Education Statistics, someone who did not complete high school will earn about $630,000 less over their lifetime than someone who has at least a GED. TLS.
Only as long as this Democrat is agreeable to pay all future hikes in my Property Tax bill to pay for this cause..
Instead of having an age, simply require them to graduate. IF they graduate at 14, great! if they graduate at 20, that’s fine too!
Question – What about the student who does not want to go to school? There are many like that, mostly in the Abbot districts. Presently the student just sits in the classes doing nothing, and maybe disrupting, until they turn 16 and can quit school. If this bill passes then the student will have another 2 years of sitting there, maybe disrupting, and the poor teachers will become that much more frustrated. The students will not have the academics requirements to graduate. And if teachers performance (for raises) goes down because of these types of students they will not get any raise.
In our society that wouldn’t be good or necessary, especially for girls, and there will always be those who drop out of school anyway.
and what make anyone think by raising the age to 18 those who choose to “walk”away still won’t ?
Quote”. Requiring students to attend school until they’re 18 will help ensure that students receive an adequate education and are sufficiently prepared to compete in the labor market”
PURE NONSENSE
this will not fix anything
Raising the age would only raise the number of “dropouts”.
Lower the full time working age (of course age apropiate work), and that will be the cause of alot more responsible people.
As being a Brooklyn Resident I remember that Our Mayor Mike Blumberg a couple of years ago had mentioned something like this as well. I don’t remember exactly what he said but it was something to the fact of having an extra grade in high school. I am also not sure if he said it was optional or not but i don’t think it went through any ways. if anyone remembers him saying this please let me know.
Lakewood has the lowest graduation rate in the state. Rather than mandate a certain age, we should provide more vocational training to provide a trade so those who are not interested in academics can make a living. Our Board of Education has failed miserably in educating the children of Lakewood.
I agree with #2, but, there are still kids who won’t or can’t learn anything anyway. Either they’re not motivated, or have LD or other problems. Keeping them in school is not the answer; helping them get skills for life is.
Why are the Feds and Obama trying to make state laws? Keep it up Obama we can see your plan to turn this country into a socialist state.
That’s almost like requiring every Yeshiva Bochur to be a huge Talmid Chacham and be a masmid and learn 24/7.
I thought we just got through explaining how “the system” doesn’t work for most people.
So now Obama wants to make the system tougher.
BIG GOVERNMENT = DISASTER
Everyone is always crying “Big Govt” and “States should make their own laws”. There WAS a time when the states had all the control, do you REALLY want that back? Legalized Segregation? Legalized Antisemitism? States deciding 18yr olds can buy alcohol again? Or lets just make it 16 since people are complaining about Obama wanting 18 to be the required age to leave highschool, not 16. Hell lets just allow slavery again too while we are at it. There is a reason the Federal Govt. had to take these powers from the states, because they were never going to protect everyone. Not when you have some states that have out of control and corrupt governments. Wake up and stop using tired old “Talking points” to argue about something, when all you are really doing is playing political theater. That is why nothing is getting done in this country. Everyone is complaining and nobody is DOING anything about it.
sure Obama is in favor of this ,if he keeps them in school til they are 18 thats fewer people coming into the job market that will join the unemployment ranks
Why wouldn’t it be good or necessary for girls? Don’t they deserve an education?
to Wondering says
you are right about the lakewood BOE, why not just fix the problems withe current school system ,better yet let the State step in here to do it ,obviously those who are now in control can’t !
If kids are dropping out of school at the age of 14-16 don’t you think we would have a higher drop-out rate if they have to be in school longer? This doesn’t make any sense at all. It’s been this way for how long why change it? This is just the government wanting to have more control in something else in our lives.
to Anonymous #14. I was talking about Jewish girls, many of whom are going to go to seminary anyway. They don’t need more years in school.
To my 2 cents- thank you for clarifying 🙂