Photos and interviews by Sara Bharrat

This week we asked the man/woman in the street why so many males are dropping out of school and what can be done to prevent this.

Victor Forde, retiree: ‘Now this is a big question especially since crime is on the up. Years ago men would go to the secondary schools and promise the girls money and this was enough to lure them away from school. In a similar fashion drug dealers are sending pimps to schools to recruit young boys to work for them. I think more boys are dropping out of school because they are being lured into criminal activities. The drug dealers use them, break them and then they’re left alone that why everywhere we look there are urchins on the street. The only way to stop young males from dropping out of school is to keep them away from negative influence like drug dealers who target them. We must ensure that boys understand that there are other ways to be a man and make money and that getting an education is the first step. They must understand how important it is.’

Rudolph Waldron, Retired US Military Personnel:

‘When I was at school a group of us would go to places after school where we could have some good clean fun. Back then there were proper recreational activities for young men to engage in. These days young men have nothing to occupy them so they stray away from the important things in life and that is how they become exposed to the negative influences that cause them to drop out of school. I left this country for 33 years and when I returned here I was appalled to see that children were still playing cricket on the street. It is sad to see that all around us our international neighbours have provided facilities for their children and our children are on the streets. Another thing I’ve noticed is that these days when a teenager has a girlfriend he has to have a lot of money to buy her things.  When the parents can’t afford to give them the money some of them eventually get involved in crime and as a result drop out of school. Another reason more boys tend to drop out of school is the breakdown in the discipline system in the schools. I think the solution to this problem would be to get these young men role models who will be able to give them some amount of guidance.’

Handel James,Businessman:

‘I don’t think that enough is being done in the education system to prevent young men from dropping out of school. Each young man has a different personality and will therefore drop out of school for a different reason. However, I think that there are two major reasons why more boys drop out of school. The fact is that some of them want to experience a life of work early and then there are others who want the fast lifestyle. The ones who opt for the fast lifestyle often do so because they see men with fancy vehicles and they want to achieve the same thing in a short amount of time. Often these young men don’t ask themselves how it was that these men have managed to lead such a luxurious lifestyle. It will take not only teachers but parents as well to stop this trend of young men abandoning school. Parents need to develop a proper relationship; one that is friendly, with their sons and with the aid of teacher explain the importance of an education. This should be done at an early age because by the time a boy hits his mid teens chances are he would have already been manipulated by the negative influences which could possibly be responsible for him becoming a school dropout.’

Jason Singh, Businessman:

‘It is disheartening to say that there are still a handful of older people out there who do not consider school important. Especially those families who are well off and can provide their children with a proper financial foundation from which they can build something. I think that more males are dropping out of school because there are more expectations pinned on them by their families. They are expected to take on family responsibilities and are introduced to them at an early age so by the time they are midway through high school they leave school and get involved in whatever the family trade may be. Further, a young man’s decision to leave school often has a lot to do with the psychological pressure placed on him, in some cases by family. There are parents who never let their children know that they are proud of their achievements at school and that affects their child’s confidence. If a child begins to think that what they’re doing at school isn’t good enough that automatically lowers their self esteem which eventually results in their decision to leave school. It is important that parents support their children and help them to understand that getting an education is crucial to who they will become.’

Lashawna Hughes, Sales Clerk:

‘The lack of attention from parents is one of the factors that contribute to boys dropping out of school. I think that the majority of the boys who drop out of school come from families that are struggling financially. However, there are those whose families can manage financially but because parents don’t take interest in their education they tend to take their own path which leads them out of school. My family struggled financially to send me to school but I aimed at finishing school and I had their support. I have a younger brother who had dropped out of school for the same reasons I stated but he’s managed to return. I guess most boys are like that; not as receptive to education as females are willing to be and that is why parents need to constantly take an interest in their education and remind them of its significance in their lives. Most of these young men who drop out of school aren’t recognizing this importance. They just don’t know that by getting an education they can make a difference.’

Brandon Persaud, Part-time Goldsmith:

‘More young men drop out of school because they come from poor families and circumstances force them to leave their education behind and make a living. Then there are those boys who are just reluctant to absorb education. That is a problem which parents will have to tackle and try to find out why their son doesn’t want to do his school work. I’ve noticed too that many school boys are in game shops during school hours. Many shop owners encourage these children in there and that is wrong. When they skip school and fall behind in their school work they lack confidence in doing well at school and resort to running away from school.’

Anthony James, Private Sector Employee:

‘I don’t think that teachers are giving male students as much opportunities to express themselves and they end up losing interest in education. I think that many of the boys who become drop outs come from poor families. Some of them come from single parent homes and sometimes they may be the oldest of their siblings and drop out of school to assist their parent and earning money for the family. I started to work early because of a similar situation. I come from a single parent family and I was forced to leave school so that I could work and help my mother provide for my other siblings. I explain to my children how important it is for them to take their education because I am giving them the opportunity to make something of themselves.’

Lorna Smith, Self-employed:

‘I think that males in general don’t know the importance of education and that is the reason why you find more boys are dropping out of school. There are parents who still say things like “what is the sense in going to school”. Therefore, I think that one of the main reasons that boys are dropping out of school in larger numbers is because their parents aren’t giving them as much support as a female child would get. Many young men are smoking now and their parents can’t do anything about. They think that if they don’t do certain things then they aren’t a man. There is also a perception out there that because males are physically stronger then they can easily find other jobs that don’t require a high level of education. I think that teachers need to be stronger and speak to their male students about this issue.’

Antonette Andries,Unemployed:

‘I think that the fact that more male students are dropping out of school has to do with the lack of a proper role model in their life. We can’t expect only teachers to address this issue but parents and churches must also get involved in instilling proper morals into our boys. I believe that if they have a proper upbringing it will not really matter if their family is struggling financially or not. I believe that anyone who has a child that wants to drop out of school should seek professional help in the form of a counselor or social worker to get to the bottom of why that child wishes to drop out of school. Children should be made aware of the importance of an education from an early age. They should know that even if they may not be able to pursue their education to a tertiary level they will need qualifications in a few subjects if they are to secure a proper job. However, if this is not done that child will end up in negative situations such as getting involved in crime.’

Chikere Stewart, Bank Relationship Officer:

‘Peer pressure contributes to male students dropping out of school. These days with technology on the move these boys go to school and see their friends with luxury items. When their parents can’t afford to provide them with these items they want to leave school to earn their own money. I think this happens a lot in single parent families where the mother is the remaining parent. The lack of a father figure for young men is often disastrous. They see their mother struggling to make a living and opt to drop out of school again in an effort to make money but sadly because they have not completed their education they cannot secure proper jobs.’