Some Sobering Statistics On Graduation Rates Must Be Considered When Planning A Public Education System

Robert Kirwan, B.A. (Math), M.A. (Education)
Independent Education & Career Planning Agent

  
The Province of Ontario has some rather disturbing graduation rates that must be considered when discussing the future of the public education system.

First of all, survey's of parents indicate that over 70% of all parents expect their children to go to university.

Statistics show that about 25% of all high school graduates go on to university. Unfortunately, about half of those students drop out of their original program, shift to another program, or do not finish their degree.

About 25% of all high school graduates go on to community college. Many of these students do not complete their program of study, but the completion rate is a bit higher than that for university.

The other 50% of all high school students either drop out of high school before getting their Grade 12 diploma or they go directly to work right out of Grade 12.

These statistics have been the same for as long as we can remember. 

Therefore, when it comes to developing an education system that will meet the needs of our students and that will enable them to achieve their career and personal goals after Grade 12, we should take into consideration these hard facts. For half of our students, college or university is not going to be an option - not because they "cannot go" but because they "do not want to go". Society does have a place for people who do not have a college or university diploma, so we must stop "pushing" everyone towards university and making them feel as if they have failed if they choose another path.

 

 
The Learning Clinic is The Private Practice of
Robert Kirwan, B.A. (Math), M.A. (Education), OCT
4456 Noel Crescent, Val Therese, ON P3P 1S8
Phone: (705) 969-7215    Email:    rkirwan@thelearningclinic.ca

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