What are we doing to our boys?

I've been reading where my (original) hometown of Montréal has the highest rate of high school drop out (almost 45%), and close to 80% of those are boys.

Firstly, I'd like to say that calling them "dropouts" is hypocritical. When an adult leaves a job of their own volition, they "resign". We no longer say they "quit" because that hurts our sensitive ears. But calling 16, 15, 14, and even younger children "drop outs" is fine.

Calling them "drop outs" puts the emphasis on them, and removes responsibility from teachers, school directors, school boards, and parents.

I specify boys in the title because of the disproportionate number they represent, and that discrepancy makes it easier to diminish the problem. By that I mean that if there were a more even number of girls "dropping out", more would be getting done to address the problem.

Now before you call me a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, let me explain. If the discrepancy were more along the line or 55-45 or even 50-50, it would be affecting the same number of people, but more equally spread out in the population, hence more opportunity for people to get involved.

As well, since it is mostly boys, this can (more than likely does) lead to ghettoizing these "drop out" boys, while at the same time isolating the girls who "drop out" since they are the "exception".

When the "drop out" rate as high as it is in Montréal, it is time they looked at the education system. Not necessarily "what" they are teaching because after all math remains math, French is French, and so on. But how are we teaching it, and more importantly what are we teaching our children about themselves and life. Instead of shoving down their throats that "High education is the best way to have a better life", maybe we should explain that a better way to a potential good life is for them to think critically and logically about what they want, weigh the pros and the cons, explain how "life" or "society" works, and that a "successful" life includes balancing social expectations with personal needs and wants.


P.S. The French term for "drop out" is "décrocheur" which is just as derogatory.