Juan M.

Coln Rodrguez
Why students drop out of school in PR
Education is a vital part of human development !ith an education" a person can
face the challenges that the !orld gives. #herefore" students that drop out of school do not
have the s$ills to face these challenges. Many countries face this pro%lem including &reat
'ritain !hich has the highest percentage of drop outs" as !ell as" some of the %iggest
countries in the !orld li$e China and the (nited )tates. *ccording to the statistics of the
+ational Medicine ,ealth -nstitute" ../0 of the adolescents drop out %et!een ages of 12 to
13 in Puerto Rico. *s !e can see" it is a small percentage" %ut it reflects several situations
that have to %e resolved for the sta%ility of the society of Puerto Rico. 4ne student less in
the school is one person less to guide future generations in Puerto Rico. 5or that reason" the
education system has made efforts to reduce the dropout rates. #he chief causes of dropping
out in Puerto Rican schools include teen pregnancy" drugs and lac$ of motivation of the
students.
*ccording to the +M,- statistics the chief cause of girls dropping out school in
Puerto Rico is teen pregnancy. )ome contri%uting factors are a lac$ of se6ual education"
adolescent se6ual %ehavior" and inade7uate $no!ledge a%out safe se6. -n most cases the
se6ual education in family circles is very poor. #his topic is avoided in some families
%ecause they don8t $no! ho! to approach it and see it as ta%oo. *s a result" !hen a young
girl gets pregnant it is a surprise to her parents. #his ma$e it very difficult to face the
situation and help the girl to gets a normal life !ith education in her circumstances. -n the
similarly" adolescent se6ual %ehavior is a factor of teen pregnancy. *mong adolescents"
peer pressure is a ma9or factor that encourages the teenage %oys and girls to engage in
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se6ual activities. -n addition" inade7uate $no!ledge a%out safe se6 contri%utes to unplanned
parenthood.
#he drug issues in Puerto Rico may also contri%ute the drop out rate in schools. -n
Puerto Rico drug dealers su%sides a large %lac$ mar$et economy. *s result" a lot of places
have to struggle !ith the violence that the drugs dealers cause. )ometimes these drug
dealers are close to the schools and the leader from the gang recruits young %oys to sell the
drug. #he lo! security in the schools attracts the easy enter of drug dealers to the school.
#he drug %usiness is very attractive to the young adolescents %ecause it is a !ay to ma$e
easy money. -n some cases they need the money to help in their homes. When students
form an addiction to these su%stances it affects their academic life. &enerally they fall into
this addiction %ecause they are trying to escape many pro%lems in their life li$e the difficult
situation in their families. *s a conse7uence of this addiction the student loses have the
a%ility to live a successful academic life.
*nother cause of the drop out rate in Puerto Rico is the students8 lac$ of motivation.
#he lac$ of motivation in the students is cause %y the lac$ of motivation of the teachers.
Many teachers in Puerto Rico do not ma$e education attractive to students %ecause they are
9aded a%out their 9o%s. #hey have a lo! salary as a result of this" they8re not very respected
in society. #hen !hen students goes to a classroom to ta$e classes" they have to face a
teacher !ho is not pleased !ith his or her o!n !or$" !hich affects students8 motivation
%ecause they do not see the attraction of %eing educated. *nother cause that influences the
lac$ of motivation of the students in Puerto Rico is their parents e6perience at high school.
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-n most cases parents contri%ute to a pessimistic attitude to!ards academic life. &enerally"
these students that lac$ motivation had parents !ho never finished high school.
*s !e can see" the drop out rate in Puerto Rico has perceiva%le causes that should %e
faced. #he system of education has to respond to these different realities in three !ays.
5irst" to face the teen pregnancy pro%lem must %e an adapta%le education program for
young parents. +e6t" to face the drug pro%lem teachers" administrators and social !or$ers"
in com%ination !ith other social care agencies" have to ma$e a plan to ta$e the students out
of the circle of drugs. #eachers also have to improve their s$ills to ma$e education
attractive %y using ne! learning methods. *ll these efforts can ma$e the drop out rate go
do!n in Puerto Rico. #his !ill made education in Puerto Rico safe and secure for ne!
generations.

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