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The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
Dec
13
Students Who Drop Out of School Can Lose Driver’s Licence
Filed Under "At-risk" students, The Way I See It
I was reading The Toronto Star newspaper this morning, December 13, and this caught my eye:
“Law puts brakes on school dropouts. Students under 18 risk losing licence if they don’t stay in school until graduation”
The law also will raise the age limit for mandatory school attendance in Ontario (Canada) from 16 to 18. Now, this all sounds great, but I’m not sure I know what to think. I see kids sitting in front of me everyday who do not want to be in school because they feel there is nothing there for them but are forced to be there. Let me tell you, it’s not a pretty sight. The kids I’ve talked to think the new law is “stupid”- gee what a surprise. They want to know what does a driver’s licence have to do with school attendance? Good question.
I’ve just had time to skim the article. I’ll have to take a closer look and consider all the arguments for and against the new laws. My gut feeling is that some kids are round pegs, and they have trouble fitting into the square holes at school. Things do have to change, but I’m not sure if it’s just the laws. To be fair, some things are already changing. There are new programs, new round holes for these kids. I think that Kids need to be able to get something they find useful from school and not have something taken away that has nothing to do with school. What do you think?
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44 Responses to “Students Who Drop Out of School Can Lose Driver’s Licence”
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i think that you guys should let students that drop out keep their license..
Thanks for your feedback Yang Lee. Could you please tell me why you thing students who drop out of school should be able to keep their license.
i think that kids should be able to keep their license because what good is it to take their license. If they dont wanna be in school, they’re not gonna be, at least if they have their license they can go out and get a job.
Shelby, I think you have a point about kids needing their license to get to work. I think it would be good if those kids who didn’t like school could work and earn credits at the same time. You know, something like co-op but you’d get paid.
ok fisrt of all this law is stuipid cruel and makes no sense there are reasons y kids dropp out mine started in gr 4 til gr 9 the psycological pressure bad teachers put on me was insane i started smokeing cuz of it now i cant stop there are more but it will be too long and wat about rural ontario kids i live in the small village of searchmont 50 km away from the nearest city no bus no train nothing but forest u tell my how im gona comute to work to get food and so on i mightaswell take off to the mountains and live like a mountain man o ya driving was my dream since i was a little kid and wen i herd about this law my dream crashed to the ground i dropped out befor the law and i am far to behind to cach up luckely i moved from my homtown befor the law or the people responable for my reason i droped out (bad teachers) would have gotten a nice beating.
I think the law is stupid I just droped ou like three weeks ago because i didnt like my teachers and the teachers didnt like me and if i was having a problem with something I would ask a question and it was like i had asked them to kill somebody so i droped out because i felt like it wasnt for me and now i might be about to lose my license this sucks because how am i goin to get to work i have no other rides and its not like im out doing drugs or anything so i dont see why they should take away baxically my only freedom in life because some teacher didnt want to do her job I think the law is cruel and its punishing us for no reason
i just dont get it.
if i drop out right now (age 16) what happens to me ? :S
i might not get my licenece but thats ok for now, but is it like forever ?
Scott,
Good question. I’m not sure but I think you’d be out of luck until your 18, the legal age for quitting school.
Dont drop out of school. Take some advice from a senior. It’s not worth going all them years in school and then just giving up because you dont like school or your teachers. Your not supposed to love it but it is what gets you somwhere in life
so, I am 17 right now, if I drop out will I be in trouble of any kind.. I don’t drive, but my school principel is threatning me realy that on the 20th of this month i will have to see the school board of ejucation. Why is that… they keep saying Oh we can fine you and such.. so what the hell… are they just bloffing me or is this for real… i dint do anything bad, just not showing up… my mom went to the school three times trying to talk me into going back… all i ever wanted was to take the year off, a break… school is so boreing… i just sit there turn on my ipod and watch movies or lissen to music… not doing any work at all… this semester i only showed up… 3 times lol.. so… what the hell is going on? some one tell me lol plz..
if you want to reply me buy email Juggernaut0690@hotmail.com TY
Sorry for spelling errors was speaking my mind.. lol
Shanden,
Don’t worry about the spelling. I’m not the greatest speller in the world myself.
As far as what trouble you’ll be in if you drop out of school, I’m not sure what the law is where you live. Here, kids have to stay in school until they’re 18. If they don’t,they end up in court.
I’m really sorry that you find school boring and that it does nothing for you. Perhaps there are alternative programs that you could do instead of regular school that would be better for you. We have different programs at our school. Maybe there are some different programs at your school. Check it out. Ask.
I have students who went to other school programs and liked it better. In fact, when students tell me they’re sick of school, I suggest they check out co-op. In co-op, you go to work and get school credits. You don’t have to sit in a classroom all day. Kids love it and are always glad they did co-op. Check it out because co-op is more like real life than school- that’s why kids like it.
Get your mom to ask about co-op or other programs. Regular school isn’t for everyone, but everyone needs an education that’s why there are other programs.
Hope this helps.
Well, i also think it is unfair to take their license, but at the same time it is a way that can bring them back to school. Because in my understanding they don’t want it for real. By the way i am Haitian, and i am doing a reserch on students who drop out school early age as sixteen, to be honest with all of you who are reading my e-mail, i left Haiti and that was a blessing because i find a way where i can persuit a degree in life not just for me, but also to help those who do not have a target.Therefore, the best thing to do, is staying in school and you will not have to worry about people taking your license, why it has to be you and not someone else saying the same thing you are saying. Have you ever felt hungry and you feel like you need someone to cook some for you, but as matter of fact no body is around, if you are hungry for real you would stand on your feet and get up to cook some for yourself. This is the same thing my friends, my sisters, my brothers, be or stay in school and have a degree its like you cook your own food and you dont have to worry about some body else does it for you. i don’t have money to stay in school, i am struggling days and night, but everytime i am thinking that there will be one day that it iwill not be the same it gives courage to keep on going, and this is the same thing i am doing now for you, i am encouraging you to stay in school. Stay in school please!
Gabard,
Thank you for encouraging students to stay in school and telling them why. Sometime young people cannot see the long term consequences of their actions.
Students should be able to keep the driver’s license. Even though school in the traditional sense may not have worked out, the ability to drive may enable them to pursue a more viable course.
should high school students still get the license yes or no ?
Nate,
Yes, as long as they fulfill the requirements for getting the license. I do not see the connection between not attending school and not being able to drive- apples and oranges. I think the move is a desperate attempt to get kids to stay in school.
Poverty is a good motivator for an education.
But don’t you find it odd that some of you on here don’t feel an education is of any use yet you apologize for bad spelling ??
Perhaps deep down you can see the value ?
I live in the UK and was a virtual dropout, but now i’m re educating myself and am now a teacher for the money.. oh yes and the kids ..
Education isn’t about remembering facts and numbers it’s about giving YOU a set of tools to learn what you want or need to. It shows you how to find information or how to break down a problem into smaller parts. It shouldn’t be fun ( because fun 24/7 would become very boring very soon ) but it should be just a little challenging and a little enjoyable, just enough to keep you interested for life.
Richard,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the topic. Yes, poverty is an excellent motivator, and yes education is about getting a set of tools you can use to help yourself get ahead. As a teacher, I try to make school a little bit of fun and a little bit of a challenge for my students and for me. After all, I need to have fun and be challenged too.
i definitely think people who drop out should be able to get/keep their license because school has nothing to do with having a license. kids can excel in having jobs and being in the real world but not finish school. i think they should change that law.
Karen,
I agree.
I am a seventeen year old mother.
I dropped out November of 2007.
I was nine months pregnant and VERY uncomfortable. My plan though was to drop out and do another program online so I would be able to stay at home with my daughter. Three months after I dropped out I got a letter in the mail saying my license was about to get revoked because I dropped out.
Come to find out, the program I was going to do didnt qualify you to have your license because it wasnt enough hours during the week.
So now Im sitting in my fourth period..
wishing I was at home with my daughter.
But Im not because of some stupid law.
Everyday I come home and I feel like Ive missed so much..
But I have to have my license,
and I have to have my diploma.
Okay well Im still in school. Actually in school right now. Im doing a speech about losing your license if you dropout. Well Im against that. Alot of pregnant teens have to dropout, by taking away their license your taking away their chance to maintain their jobs and ways to get to and from work. they may need their vehicle to take their kid the hospital. Many teens who have gotten pregnant or are the father who must take care of the child, need vehicles. there are 468,988 babies born to teenage mothers a year and of those about 300,000 mothers drop out before they graduate. those mothers could of been the best students, they may have just made mistakes. why should the government take away their mean of transportation. dont you think they are doing the right thing by taking care of their child. but they are making it harder to do.
by the way if you could possibly figure out how many of the mothers actually drop out you could help me with my paper.
Brittney,
I’m glad you wrote back to tell us you’re still in school. I was hoping that you’d stay and graduate. I know it’s not easy for you, but it looks like you have what it takes to hang in there. Good.
You’ve made some good points. As for your question, about how many moms drop out of school I think that it’s OK to say that about 300,000 drop out. You don’t need an exact figure to make your point.
Hope that helps.
school os a priveledge and so are a teens drivers licence, so if you can’t even finish school then why should you be able to keep your licence?
I think this is stupid some people can’t help that they have to drop out. I dropped out of school because I was kicked out of my house with no where to go. How was I supposed to afford my own place without working full time. I had to work full time and in order to work full time I couldn’t go to school full time.
Ok, so if you drop out and have a job, you still dont get to keep your liscense?What if you are pregnant and HAVE to work, and are tired of going to school?ya know i need someone to talk to about this….please contact me at metallicas2cool4u@yahoo.com or drunken_boxer_13@yahoo.com thanks,
Person in need of assistance
Shandi,
I hear what you are saying.Thanks for giving us your insight into the problem.
i think the law is stupid because what if a girl gets pregnant and has to drop out? or if u feel school aint for u im 16 years old and still in school but i feel that i dont have a reason to be here i mean im trying my hardest but im felling all my subjects i feel like its just un fear teanagers that drop out should beable to keep there license or get them because school aint for everybody
well im 16 and my skool iz kinda gay and retarded and i’m thinkin about dropin out but could i really lose mii licence if i do??
all i do iz sit there and watch videos on mii ipod and music i don’t do any of mii work there and all the teachers there are b****s and i hate them.
nice article i like it =)
im 17 im in the process of withdrawling from school but yesterday ive realized i need my education and now my mother wont allow me to go back to school what can i do to go back i really want my education thanks please help me
Colby,
You know your mom is probably really frustrated because you probably made promises before about school.
I don’t know that I can help you other than telling you that if you walk your talk she’ll believe you.If you really want an education and you say that you do, you can do that in alternative settings. Talk to your guidance counselor about that and maybe when you show your mom you are really serious by walking your talk and earning some credits in the alternative settings she’ll believe you. You can also do correspondence courses to earn credits too. That’s also an option.
Hope that gives you some ideas.
Hi, I’m only 14 years old (Hard to tell, eh? I just like when people understand what I write, that’s why I’m literate) and I want to drop out of school. (Even though I can’t really leave, I’ll skip every single school day if I have to.)
I HATE it there.. I mean, I go to a french school and I HATE french. I’m kind of shy, so I can’t speak french without studdering, or just mumbling it.
I love Japanese stuff. I listen to Japanese music all the time, as a matter of fact, I’m listening to it right now..(I can even speak Japanese, but I can’t read Japanese characters or write them..) But, I want to live in Japan, so I decided I wanted to be an english teacher in Japan.
But, of course, the part of Nova-Scotia(Canada) that I live in (Tusket)
only has a french school, and in town there’s english schools.. But, my school guidance counselor said I can’t change to the english ones in town, because I live too far away (About 30 minutes, but no bus from Town schools come down here)
I don’t know what to do,
School isn’t for me. I get bullied alot, actually. I decided to get piercings. So I’m 14 with a lip piercing and eyebrow piercing. I like the way I style my hair, I like my piercings.. I still get made fun of.
I called my mom this morn, (I’m home alone right now, I purposely missed the bus. AGAIN.) and told her I wasn’t going, and that I wanted to drop out and get a job somewhere so I can visit Japan for a year..
Sorry for so much writing, I’m just.. mad..
Jordan,
It’s OK to be mad. Don’t apologize for writing so much.
I’m concerned about the fact that you get bullied. You need to talk to someone at school about that so that the bullying stops. The school administration needs to know. You and your mom could go and talk to the principal. There must be an anti-bully policy at your school.
Hi,I don’t know if anybody goes to this topic anymore,but I’m 15 years old and homeschooled. i used to go to regular school until I switched. I just can’t stand school of any kind,doesn’t matter if its homeschool or what. I’m curious of a couple things. If we just don’t show up to schools before the age of 18,what things would we be facing in court? If we did go to school,what are these co-op programs about?
Ash,
Co-op is a program where students go out to work and earn credits toward their high school diploma. At our school, students spend the first month of school learning how to prepare for the world of work-resumes, interview skills etc. Then they go to work 4 days a week and are in school 1 day. There’s also 1/2 day co-op. Full day co-op students earn 4 credits.
I’ve found that most students really like co-op because it gets them out of school into the world of work.
You can get more detailed info from your local school.
Hi, I’m a student in school in Ontario, I’m 15 right now, but I’ll be 16 in a few days and it’s been my decision to drop out for a long time now. However I’ve been told many things and I can’t seem to get a straight answer, it’s either “You could be put in a group home” or “You can’t drop out because you have to be 18″. My decision to drop out came to me a while ago, actually just after the summer rolled in this year I was thinking about everything I’ve failed so far and how hard it would be to catch up with everything (It’s pretty bad, my attendance at my “home” school - as they call it - was bad because of being sick too much). So I was moved to an alternate school, one with few people in the class, I have no friends within the class that I can associate with and on top of that I’ll be honest, I’ve probably missed 10 days total so far because of excessive migraines and headaches. I’m surprised I haven’t been kicked out already but with my current conditions I really don’t even care for trying anymore. Class is boring when I’m there and I end up having to walk home for lunch which ends up making me late because its so far, I just can’t put up with it so my decision was clear up until a few days ago when we had a meeting at the alt ed school and they basically told me there’s no way I can drop out. Truancy officer this, court that, is any of this shit real or is it just to keep me in school, and what would I face in court, cause I’d do anything to never see the inside of a school again for a long time till I feel I’ve had the time off that I need.
Sorry for a repost, I just wanted to mention that my plan after dropping out was to work with my mom and dad, which would not need me to have a drivers license seeing as it’s my parents business they can bring me to work.
Robert,
I’m sorry you’re having such a rough time with school.
Yes, you need to attend school til you’re 18. Yes, the court will get involved if you don’t. But, you still have other options. There is alternative co-op that you could do. You’d work and not be in school all the time. Many of my students have absolutely loved co-op because they aren’t in school.
I encourage you to look into other options. Your home school can tell you the ones that are available for you. I just came from a meeting at my school where we discussed kids who need other options and believe me they are there other options. The system is finally recognizing that the classroom isn’t for everyone. There are many different ways to get your high school diploma.
It is never too late to start earning credits. I know that it’s feels like a an over whelming task. But, take one step at a time and before you know it you’ll be there.
You’re first step could be to find another program that will work for you. Ask for help, there are teachers that can help you. Good luck.
These laws are enacted not out of sound policy but out of frustration at the failure of the school system to keep students engaged and motivated, or to provide meaningful alternatives for at risk students. At risk students do not see the relevance to what they are doing in school, that the things they are learning may be important in ways that they cannot possibly foresee. This is why they drop out. They are bored and want immediate rewards. For teens, parents are largely irrelevant on this point - friends are the most influential source of information (despite what polls say). The failure is largely in an excessively rigid system, but the blame is placed only on the students when they don’t buy in. For example, research is clear that teens do poorly with early morning schedules, yet school systems insist on maintaining only early schedules for high schools, and punish students for being tardy. Even colleges have started later class offerings. North Carolina has had a punitive “drop out or do poorly in high school, lose your license” law for ten years. It has not worked - drop out rates are slightly higher in that time period. In fact, I know of a few instances where it has caused some teens to drop out. They had poor grades, lost their license and the combination caused them to give up entirely. These laws are the equivalent of the mandatory sentencing craze of a few years ago, whose consequences were that many prisoners were given unfairly harsh sentences for minor crimes. I am not sure what the exact answer to the drop out rate is, but losing your license is not the solution.
Jim,
Than you for sharing your insight. I totally agree with you.
hey everybody i think she is right i shuld have to stay in school but i did a lot of recerch and i think i know what she is talking about
butt if you have a 40 hour job wnen u drop out can u keep them
Brandon,
I believe that you have to stay in school until you graduate from high school or until you are 18 unless you are working at some type of co-op placement. It’s not the number of hours that’s important. It’s that you are attending school in some type of program. It can be an alternative school setting. We offer alternative programs to students. Are you working as part of a school program?