Dropout rates don’t tell full story in adult education

Re: B. C. adult education dropout rates prompt funding cuts, May 9

The article discusses dropout rates and cites low completion rates as a reason behind the cuts.

This is something of a false dichotomy.

Not all students pass a course in their first attempt; many students need more time and practice, and successfully complete the course in a subsequent term.

Given the diversity and varied educational backgrounds of our students, its unsurprising some students take longer to develop the skills required by our senior high school curricula.

To say they have dropped out suggests participation in a course they do not pass is a waste of time and money, whereas it is actually essential for the skill development and practice that lead to eventual course completion.

The article discusses increases in the number of graduated adults and declines in students who have not yet graduated, but does not make connections between these statistics.

These changes in numbers are largely driven by changes in definitions.

Recently, students who graduate anywhere in the world have been classified as graduated adults, while before they would have been working toward graduation, so they have been moved from one category to the other.

They no longer have access to obtaining a B. C. high school diploma, while education from their home country is often not recognized in Canada.

There are obvious economic benefits to providing immigrant adults with education and credentials that are local and recognized by post- secondary institutions here.

This will better enable these adults to obtain credentials and, more generally, participate in the B. C. economy and Canadian society. SASHA WILEY- SHAW VESTA Adult Education Sub- local president