Entrance to High school should not be automatic Essay

Entrance to High school should not be automatic - Essay Example It is in High School where teenagers begin shaping their minds with a clear focus of what they want to be in life. Students experience more independence as seen in their choice of elective subjects. High School plays a key role in shaping Self-esteem and Self-Efficacy, which are indispensable skills in the search and attainment of opportunities in the society (Iversen, J. 2006). However, not all students enrolled for High School become a success. There are innumerable cases of gangster groups formed in High School. A study also shows that most narcotics users began practicing the same while in High School and moreover, the number of High School dropouts keeps increasing daily. Jago (2000) ascribes the enrollment of ill-equipped and lazy students as the main cause of failure and indiscipline among high school students. Most 9th graders soon find themselves in a new, dynamic environment. If the elementary program did not prepare them for the environment, catching up is a race against t ime. Many of those who cannot measure up for this â€Å"play the fool and cover up for what they do not know.† However, it is also true that most of these students develop laziness after they join high school and not before it. A student who comes from a background of strict observation will relent from his duties in the absence of the observer. Again, most private schools base their enrollment on a competitive application and interview process, leaving the applicants to wait nervously for an opportunity in these schools. This means that the school administration is aware of both the weaknesses and strengths of their young students before they join the school. It also implies that private schools enroll a group of students who can learn and grow sufficiently in them. This is not so in Public Schools, where one only needs to have the grades to qualify for the school. However, Automatic enrollment in High Schools brings about a diversity of behavioral patterns, making the schoo ls more dynamic and challenging than private schools. Automatic admission also means that the chances of a student attending his school of choice are 1 out of 12. The process of admission requires that an applicant identifies 12 schools, and the schools' board selects the most suitable school for them. The criteria for selecting the school range from geographical location to the capacity for specialized programs (Jago, 2000). The implication of these is a roaming mindset that there is no need to work hard in elementary school since a place is assured, no matter what. Hence, to enroll the appropriate in every school, we may consider introducing a more intensive selection process. Jago (2000) also identifies students who are genuinely not interested in High School. She states that their lack of interest in high school education contributes significantly to the D's and F's observed throughout their 4 years. She proposes an alternative 2 year program where these students join apprentice ship before High School. In such a scenario, those interested in High School will work hard to qualify while those not interested will find an alternative program, instead of going through the four years as failures. Reflecting on this debate, a decisive response to several questions can be drawn accordingly. 1. The arguments against â€Å"Automatic Enrollment to High School† are inexhaustible thus; this is the explanation many