Why do so many teens fail when a free education is at hand?

Answer 1

TV, Music, Movies

Answer 2

Does the child feel like they are being pressured to be somewhere they aren't necessarily happy? Is the child just not interested in work?
Does the child have a learning disability?

There are a lot of reasons. your best bet wouldn't be to discipline the child without finding out why first. Take the time to talk to your teen ask them in a non-hostile way. What is the matter and how can I help? If it's just a behavioral problem the child will most likely be less willing to rebel knowing that you aren't affected by their negative behavior which is ultimately what they are aiming for.

If it is more a learning barrier, unhappiness, some other type of physical or mental disability the child would much rather have you on their side and know that you care and that they have someone to run to when they need help.

Answer 3

I have a student who has failed his grade 3 different times from the beginning to Junior High. He is very bright and intelligent, but he wants to be a "gangsta" as portrayed in the movies, TV and rap/hiphop. He thinks that being intelligent or successful in school is uncool. Early on, I made the mistake of praising him in class for making a high grade. Ever since that moment, he has been combative, uncooperative and unproductive.

Today's culture teaches kids, especially minority kids, that being intelligent and working hard is "giving in to the Man." They complain about the injustices of society, but refuse to use the only effective method of correction--education, coupled with independent thought.

The education system compounds the problem by demanding that all students be taught the same material in the same way. We are not all the same. We are not all meant to go to college. In fact, some of the most lucrative (and secure) jobs today are skilled labor positions. No matter how finely clay is molded and glazed, it will never be gold. However, as a Ming vase, clay is many times more valuable than gold!

Answer 4

The definition of a teen is someone who knows everything, yet is a generally lazy person who has a long way to go to be an adult.

Most teens do not possess the ability to figure out the real important things in life, they are too busy chasing the things that make them happy for today, without thought to tomorrow.

You don't realize the value until it you no longer have the opportunity. As a parent all you can do is set high expectations for their learning and behavior, and hope that they listen. Praise if they do, punishment if they don't.

And, of course, cross your fingers and pray to whichever god you believe in.

Answer 5

Many just don't care. They don't care if they fail an American History class, or get a 20% on their math test. They either have a horrible home life, or parents who don't care, or both. In my opinion, those are the kids who need to get into special education classes, or just dropout. They slow down all of the other students because they're too lazy to write a sentence down.

Might I add, it is not fair to other students. I know a kid who never did his homework, failed all of his tests, his final, and didn't turn in a huge essay until it was two weeks late. Instead of giving him a zero for the whole marking period, he got a 52 or something ridiculous like that. That 52 percent was about 27 percentage points away from a kid who turned his essay on time, studied for tests and quizzes, and passed them, but didn't turn in a homework assignment or two on time. It isn't fair to any of us who worked our tails off to get a good grade, while this lazy bum sat on his butt all marking period long, and still managed to get a 52 percent.

Answer 6

My son has been misled to believe that mediocrity is acceptable... he didn't get that from home, but it's practically beaten into his brain at school. Imagine what it's like for kids who don't get any encouragement at home either. They're doubly cursed. Teenagers still need a lot of external motivation. If they don't get encouragement from their primary source (parents and friends), they're all but doomed unless they have some type of internal motivation telling them to try harder.