Today, this famous 60s counter-culture sentiment might be lost on a generation of teens that appear to be leaving early not to make a statement but to make a bad decision.
In a professional development course I'm taking, we're studying mental health and an assigned study about early school leavers is proving quite interesting. Of the approximately 8.5% of 20-24yr olds in Canada without a high school diploma, almost half of them dropped out for all the obvious reasons: bad situations that no child or teen should be facing.
Yet a little over half didn't face those extreme circumstances.
Instead of a conscience decision to reject the establishment, it seems some of our early leavers that come from relatively stable homes decide they need a car and quit to earn the money. Others get pregnant, treat school as a "hang out", or fall into gang activity, drugs, and drinking.
In other words, many early leavers appear to be teenagers that take risky behaviour a little too far.
In a professional development course I'm taking, we're studying mental health and an assigned study about early school leavers is proving quite interesting. Of the approximately 8.5% of 20-24yr olds in Canada without a high school diploma, almost half of them dropped out for all the obvious reasons: bad situations that no child or teen should be facing.
Yet a little over half didn't face those extreme circumstances.
Instead of a conscience decision to reject the establishment, it seems some of our early leavers that come from relatively stable homes decide they need a car and quit to earn the money. Others get pregnant, treat school as a "hang out", or fall into gang activity, drugs, and drinking.
In other words, many early leavers appear to be teenagers that take risky behaviour a little too far.
Is it really that simple?
A closer reading of the study reveals a far more complicated picture. In the study, there are as many reasons for early leaving as there are examples that did so. And almost all of them suggest issues far deeper than "bad choices".
Jack's Story --both a video and a movement--reveals a staggering mental health issue that, in my experience at least, goes largely unspoken. Some surprises for me: four thousand suicides in Canada per year including Jack, a University student from a loving, caring family. A son that hugs his father goodnight, says "I love you", and disappears forever.
Then I remember my family history. It's there. In my wife's family too. Just as we all know someone affected by cancer, except so rarely brought up that it's forgotten.
I can't help but notice both mental health issues and early-leaving are equally large numbers. So much happening even under the age of sixteen. Grade nine & ten are particularly difficult years of transition from childhood to adulthood: peer influences, hormones, body development changes, awkward social settings, under-developed social skills, not-fully-matured personal habits, conflicting desires to succeed academically and socially, poor nutrition, sleep, and physical fitness habits, addictions to entertainment--gaming, consuming media, social media.
Could mental health issues play a role in keeping some from navigating through it all?
Some study surprises:
5% of early-leavers studied were identified as "gifted"
More than half passed the OSSLT.
58% came from either "Mosty Protected" backgrounds--relatively good situations but made poor decisions ex. Wanted to buy a car, dropped out to work, etc--or "In Between" - situations that had some obstacles but also a means to get help ex. a poor yet supportive and helpful family
Interestingly, "educators did not blame the individual students". As an educator, I am accustomed to the usual 'blame the system' talk in front of the cameras. In the staff room, however, it's a different story where the students are berated for their lack of responsibility, maturity, and discipline.
I admit to falling into the same trap. Recently, I witnessed a student arriving to a classroom next door to mine, approximately half way through the period. He was with a young girl and it seemed obvious there is a relationship. After an intimate goodbye, the student, noticing that the door was closed and locked, rudely began knocking and spewing expletives. I thought he would rip the door right off! His girl friend waited by to see what would happen. I can’t help but feel this was a show of “toughness” and defiance in anticipation of the teacher’s reaction to the extremely late arrival.
When faced with such behaviour, the empathy automatically goes to the teacher, not the student. I'm certainly not thinking of possible mental health issues or impossible, abusive at-home circumstances. But.. why not? What are we as a system lacking to prompt us to see beyond the immediate behaviour?
For one, we as a system are ignoring the impact of teenage love (or lust). Interestingly enough, the study makes little to no mention of the effect intimate relationships may have on behaviour. It appears the subject wasn't brought up with or revealed by any of the interviewed teens. In the above example, my instinct tells me this young man may have behaved differently in the absence of his "friend". It's the peacock effect: we have a school uniform yet both boys and girls purposely--and at the risk of reprimand--refuse to take their non-uniform sweater or jacket off at the door for risk of not showing it off to their opposite (or not-opposite) sex classmates. I guess in today's politically correct climate, it's best to just not talk about old fashioned ideas and why did they have separate schools for boys and girls way back when.
But the study does give us a substitute shocker: “It became obvious that some school communities could offer no help in locating young people who had left school.” Has the system become a simple credit-earning machine? Surely, if we really were invested in educating the 'whole person', we'd at least keep track of them both before they came and after they left?
Jack's Story --both a video and a movement--reveals a staggering mental health issue that, in my experience at least, goes largely unspoken. Some surprises for me: four thousand suicides in Canada per year including Jack, a University student from a loving, caring family. A son that hugs his father goodnight, says "I love you", and disappears forever.
Then I remember my family history. It's there. In my wife's family too. Just as we all know someone affected by cancer, except so rarely brought up that it's forgotten.
I can't help but notice both mental health issues and early-leaving are equally large numbers. So much happening even under the age of sixteen. Grade nine & ten are particularly difficult years of transition from childhood to adulthood: peer influences, hormones, body development changes, awkward social settings, under-developed social skills, not-fully-matured personal habits, conflicting desires to succeed academically and socially, poor nutrition, sleep, and physical fitness habits, addictions to entertainment--gaming, consuming media, social media.
Could mental health issues play a role in keeping some from navigating through it all?
Some study surprises:
5% of early-leavers studied were identified as "gifted"
More than half passed the OSSLT.
58% came from either "Mosty Protected" backgrounds--relatively good situations but made poor decisions ex. Wanted to buy a car, dropped out to work, etc--or "In Between" - situations that had some obstacles but also a means to get help ex. a poor yet supportive and helpful family
Interestingly, "educators did not blame the individual students". As an educator, I am accustomed to the usual 'blame the system' talk in front of the cameras. In the staff room, however, it's a different story where the students are berated for their lack of responsibility, maturity, and discipline.
I admit to falling into the same trap. Recently, I witnessed a student arriving to a classroom next door to mine, approximately half way through the period. He was with a young girl and it seemed obvious there is a relationship. After an intimate goodbye, the student, noticing that the door was closed and locked, rudely began knocking and spewing expletives. I thought he would rip the door right off! His girl friend waited by to see what would happen. I can’t help but feel this was a show of “toughness” and defiance in anticipation of the teacher’s reaction to the extremely late arrival.
When faced with such behaviour, the empathy automatically goes to the teacher, not the student. I'm certainly not thinking of possible mental health issues or impossible, abusive at-home circumstances. But.. why not? What are we as a system lacking to prompt us to see beyond the immediate behaviour?
For one, we as a system are ignoring the impact of teenage love (or lust). Interestingly enough, the study makes little to no mention of the effect intimate relationships may have on behaviour. It appears the subject wasn't brought up with or revealed by any of the interviewed teens. In the above example, my instinct tells me this young man may have behaved differently in the absence of his "friend". It's the peacock effect: we have a school uniform yet both boys and girls purposely--and at the risk of reprimand--refuse to take their non-uniform sweater or jacket off at the door for risk of not showing it off to their opposite (or not-opposite) sex classmates. I guess in today's politically correct climate, it's best to just not talk about old fashioned ideas and why did they have separate schools for boys and girls way back when.
But the study does give us a substitute shocker: “It became obvious that some school communities could offer no help in locating young people who had left school.” Has the system become a simple credit-earning machine? Surely, if we really were invested in educating the 'whole person', we'd at least keep track of them both before they came and after they left?
Instead, we seem to be focused on standardized curriculum & testing--hardly a unique approach for our unique students.
I don’t have the answers. I’m not taking this course to become a Guidance Counsellor. My motivation is to acquire credibility as a Careers teacher and continue to focus on providing students with some relevance in the Careers curriculum. However, after studying this module’s material, it’s clear to me that Mental Health might be a bigger issue than I ever imagined.
Early leavers that come from “starting from scratch” bad situations clearly go through experiences that can only stress existing mental health issues. This isn’t a new idea. However, the over-half of early leavers that don’t have as dire circumstances nevertheless end up making wrong choices. Do mental health issues impede the judgement that non-sufferers take for granted?
All teens go through some form of awkward, risky, and transitional situations. How can school support teens through this time?
I have often “cut a break” to students that I recognize may not be making the best choices. In fact, I suspect the term “choices” is misused: I can recall often behaving irrationally without consciously “choosing” to do so. Most often, this was due to those around me, my motivations a physiological reaction either based on hormones (presence of girls) or testosterone (boys). I did stupid things without thinking. I can only imagine what further impediment a mental health issue can impose on so-called ‘choices’.
My feeling is that school can be a good place to begin addressing mental health issues by recognizing out-of-pattern behaviour. Interaction with a number of adults suggests someone might notice something off in a student’s behaviour. However, I personally feel inadequately-able to distinguish between, say, a potential mental health issue and typical teenage irrationality. Our social workers could step in, but how often are they interacting with students that aren’t brought to their attention?
I recall hearing of a different system: there was a homeroom teacher of sorts responsible for a group of students all through their high school experience. This same group would meet briefly but regularly and the discussion was purely focused on “how are things going”? For better or worse, there was a group dynamic and element of peer-to-peer familiarity. Unfortunately, I can't recall where or when I heard this. Perhaps it was a dream.
The role of the Guidance counsellor is our substitute, but this role lacks the regular schedule of discussion and group dynamic. It's up to the student to make the appointment. And everything happens in the private realm. The responsibility seems too easy to excuse away for teacher, counsellor, or student.
As Jack's father suggests, perhaps the solutions begin by becoming a "foot soldier" for mental health.
Referenced Study
A Contemporary Study with Early School Leavers: Pathways and Social Processes of Leaving High School
Kate Tilleczek, Bruce Ferguson, Dara Roth Edney, Anneke Rummens, Katherine Boydell, Michael Mueller
Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, 3(1), 2011, pp 1-39 ISSN 1718-9748© University of Alberta http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index/php/cjfy 1
Kate Tilleczek, Bruce Ferguson, Dara Roth Edney, Anneke Rummens, Katherine Boydell, Michael Mueller
Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, 3(1), 2011, pp 1-39 ISSN 1718-9748© University of Alberta http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index/php/cjfy 1