New poll sheds interesting light on high school dropout rate
New poll sheds interesting light on why students drop out — and why they don’t
If a hundred high school dropouts were asked what led them to give up on class, they’d likely tell a hundred different stories.
Each student no doubt has his or her own reasons — personal, social, financial, familial — for abandoning their studies, or at least considering it.
Nevertheless, a poll of 1,009 Quebec youths who quit school, left and went back, or considered dropping out and persevered, makes for some interesting reading during Hooked on School Days. This past week, events and announcements aimed at addressing Quebec’s dropout rate have been taking place across the province.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante increased funding for children’s initiatives; the Breakfast Club of Canada noted the difference a full belly can make to a child’s academic performance, attention span and behaviour; and non-profit group Avenir Enfant underscored the importance of early intervention for little ones and support for parents, starting even before a child gets to school.
These are all worthy strategies targeting a multi-dimensional issue that defies a one-size-fitsall solution. But it’s always helpful to hear what kids themselves have to say.
While anecdotal evidence and testimonials are always compelling, the online poll of Quebec youth, aged 18 to 34, conducted by Léger Marketing in December, paints a statistical portrait. Common threads emerge about the factors that led to these individual decisions, but the data also challenges preconceived notions.
For instance, the poll shatters the stereotype of the struggling student with terrible grades quitting school. Among dropouts, 75 per cent said they had good or passable grades; only 25 per cent had failing marks. Of those who quit and later returned to class, 82 per cent said they had good or passing grades, while just 18 per cent said their grades were bad.
However, those who dropped out had higher instances of diagnosed learning difficulties — 40 per cent for those who quit and 30 per cent for those who returned, compared to 22 per cent for students who remained in class. The survey also offered a glimpse of other issues that may influence students’ choices, like involvement in extracurricular activities, how often they read, the frequency with which they visit libraries, and their consumption of drugs and alcohol.
But again, while one might assume stark differences, the responses among the groups were fairly similar. Among dropouts, 49 per cent read in their spare time compared to 54 per cent of those who remained in class. Remarkably, 61 per cent of students who left school and re-enrolled reported reading for pleasure — the highest rate.
More than half of all respondents — 52 per cent — reported being bullied at school. The rates are eerily similar among dropouts, those who left and returned to class and those who stayed in school. Interestingly, the rate was highest — 55 per cent — among students who stuck it out.
In terms of family and social life, dropouts, kids who eventually returned, and students who graduated reported slight variances in the value their families placed on education, parental involvement in their studies, rates of friendship and the attitudes of their friends toward school.
Perhaps the biggest revelations come in the part of the poll on encouragement.
Not surprisingly, kids who stayed in school received higher levels of moral support from family, friends, teachers and mentors. Those who left school (even if they came back) were most likely to report receiving no support whatsoever.
If the inspiration of loved ones was the main motivation for those who kept at their studies, followed by interest in a certain subject and the desire to pursue it as a career, work experience and interest in a specific field were the main reasons drawing dropouts back to class.
Quebec’s high dropout rate has been studied in great detail — and for good reason. A decade ago, 29 per cent of students in public high schools failed to graduate. A deeper analysis showed francophone males were particularly vulnerable, with 40.9 per cent of boys in the Commission scolaire de Montréal quitting school at one point.
But significant efforts have been put into reversing this dismal trend, with former Bank of Montreal president Jacques Ménard an early champion. Recently, the Quebec government has invested significantly.
The 2017 budget had a whole chapter on the importance of youth to Quebec’s economic prospects.
With an aging population and an economy firing on all cylinders, it noted that nearly 160,000 15 to 29 year olds are neither in school or the labour market, representing 11 per cent of that age cohort — a huge loss of economic and human potential.
The latest figures show that the needle is moving: For the first time, the high school graduation rate in Quebec has hit 80 per cent, ahead of its scheduled target.
Progress is being made, but the work must continue. As the 82 per cent of the youth in the poll also noted: Ensuring kids stay in school until they graduate is a collective responsibility.
Perhaps the statistical snapshot offered by the Léger poll will help in these efforts by showing there is no typical profile or glaring warning sign that a person will drop out.
But it’s often the small gestures, the pat on the back or the word of encouragement, that make the biggest difference.