Bobert - I don't know the answer to school drop outs but I do know its nothing new. I hated high school. I did not like the social scene, the subjects bored me and the teachers were from outer space.

The only thing that kept me in school was that my father said that I had to go to school until I was 18 and that I wouldn't be allowed to live at home, otherwise. I took an alternate program that allowed me to take the required subjects in the morning and I worked in the afternoon. The only thing I cared about was fashion. I worked retail and had money to spend on clothes (shallow but true). I went to university at age 38.

My son also wanted to drop out. The only way I kept him in was by finding a program that allowed him to take the required subjects in the morning so that he could train in the afternoon (he was a competing athlete). I wouldn't sign for him to join the cycling team (he was the junior member) unless he passed every course with a C or better. His big interest was riding his bike. (At age 33 he's a contractor that makes more money than me).

Maybe we need to offer alternatives to those kids who are at risk of dropping out. I think its important that kids begin to take an active role in their future. There has to be a way to expose them to all of the interesting kind of work that is out there. Perhaps the trick is helping them to find an area of interest and then providing the opportunity for them to pursue it. Its not good enough to tell them that school is their only option.

I'm a teacher and I think high school sucks!

Something has to change. We have to stop looking at schools as holding tanks or a babysitting service. We have to give kids the opportunity to pursue their interests, no matter how silly it may seem. We need to expose them to the variety of occupations that are available. There needs to be more apprenticeship programs. School need to become more flexible.

I think we really need to look outside the box to solve this problem. Maybe there should be schools for itinerant youth? Maybe schools should offer courses at night so kids could work part-time during the day. Not only Government but parents need to look at ways to make schools viable.

As usual, it comes down to money and will. Its a huge bureaucratic system that does not change easily.