Should sixteen year olds be allowed to drop out?

Do you believe that a sixteen year old should be legally permitted to drop out of high school?

i dropped out when i was 16...

No if the law says you're a child til 18, then you shouldnt be able to make a decision like that until then. Plus it's kinda a contradiction that 16 y/o's are free to drop out but still get picked up by police for being truant during school hours.

cheaps wrote:i dropped out when i was 16...

So did I & it was one of the most idiotic things I ever did. I did go back about 5 years later, made up all the credits & everything. So hell no it shouldn't be allowed. At 16, we're nowhere near as smart as we think we are.

My father dropped out when he was 16 and he's made a pretty good name for himself. Of course that was over 45 years ago, big difference between then and now. I don't know, on one hand it pretty much sounds like a person is throwing their future away because without even a complete high school education, what could they possibly do? But then again, just because they finish high school doesn't mean that they've studied any harder or learned anymore than someone who does drop out, it's just a formality.

I think that if a kid is adamant about dropping out at 16, the alternative of online classes should be afforded him. Dropping out before graduation is not a good idea at all, but if a kid is really certain they do not want to be there, what good are they going to be there but for a big time waster for teachers and students who want to be there? So, I don't think they should be legally allowed to without a back up plan for online studies. And ZERO govt. assistance for anyone who dropped out.

Yes, a 16 should be allowed to drop out of school if that's what they want to do. I dropped out when I was 15 and went back and finished when I was 17. It was the best decision I've ever made, to drop out. Four years of high school isn't for everyone and it certainly wasn't for me.

I think that it should be legal but restricted. They should be required to take GED test classes OR just pass the GED if they want to drop out, imo. I was home schooled and took my GED at 16 (took the test right when I turned 16, in May) and started college that fall.