WORCESTER, Mass. -- It's too easy for students to drop out of school in Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick told educators on Monday, advocating for lawmakers to raise the minimum age.
Students can drop out of school at age 16, which Patrick said is two years too soon for such a life-altering decision. He said he would support legislation to raise the minimum age.
"Permitting young kids to drop out at 16 is another example of an antiquated education policy," Patrick said.
Historical reasons for allowing 16-year-olds to drop out are no longer valid, he said, citing teenagers in the past leaving school to work on farms.
Patrick spoke at a gathering called the "Graduation Rate Summit" at the DCU Center in Worcester.
Nearly half of Hispanic high school freshmen and more than a third of black, urban and low-income freshmen in 2002 failed to graduate four years later, according to data released last month by the state Department of Education.
Overall, 80 percent of Massachusetts' freshmen in 2002 graduated in four years or less. Of those who didn't, 6 percent remained in school, 12 percent dropped out and a small number either completed school without a diploma or got their GED.
The state's graduation rate was higher than the national average, estimated at about 70 percent. But roughly 64 percent of black students, 62 percent of special-education students and 55 percent of students with limited English skills graduated in four years. Of Hispanic students, 57 percent graduated in four years.
State Rep. Patricia A. Haddad, House chairwoman of the Education Committee, said she agrees with the idea of raising the dropout age, but said the state will have to do more than just order students to stay in class until they turn 18.
One key to reversing the dropout rate is to intervene in the lives of students well before they reach their 16th birthday, she said.
"Kids don't get up on the day they turn 16 and decide to drop out," said Haddad, D-Somerset. "It happens a lot earlier."
Part of the success of raising the state's dropout age will be giving students more of reason to stay in school and adapting to some of the changing demands of students as they grow, including the need for some students to get a job and start earning money after they turn 16, she said.
Haddad also said it's important that students understand the cost to them, and to the state, of dropping out, including an increased chance of health problems, jail and poverty.
"You have to make them want to stay there," she said.
The idea of increasing the dropout age to 18 was raised by Patrick's Republican opponent, former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, during last year's race for governor. At the time, Patrick said he thought it was a good idea.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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