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It is a sad fact of our society that so many young people leave school without the qualifications and education they deserve. For a few they struggle to learn but can't succeeed, but for the vast majority who leave without qualifications, it is because they have given up trying in school, not becausee they have tried and failed.

Actually I'm not sure it is true, however, to say that many teens do not want to learn. it's just that they do not want to learn what they are being prescribed in school on the curriculum. They love to learn how to play a new computer game, get better at basketball, be more successflu chatting up girls etc. But maybe math is not so interesting!

If we taught things in school that teens perceived as relevent, thay'd learn! Of course most of the things in a school's curriculum are relevent, it's just that teenagers can't always see that. But those teens who are disruptive or fail in school are not frightened of learning, or unwilling - it's the environment and the subject matter putting them off.

Many young people today think that history is pointless as it happened a long time ago. They don't realise that we can learn from the mistakes and expeirences of previous generations. They think geography is pointless because they'll never get to visit all these places anyway so why do they need to learn about them? THey think math is a waste of time because you can add up using a calculator and what else doyou need ti for? English is also pointless. "I can read and write!" they exclaim, caring little for their ability to write correct grammar - after all, as long as you can text, it's fine! Science is a waste of time - you nee to learn how to do drugs, not make them! and foreigh languages! Well, doesn't everyone speak English these days? and if they don't, well America is a big country - who needs to go abroad even if they could afford it?

So somehow teachers need to help them see the truth - that all these subjects really will enrich their lives and help them get on. Some teenagers are so frightened of failure because they think they are stupid that they would rather fail because they stopped trying than fail after working hard, as that way they are in control of the situation. this is sad. It's just a little short-sightedness they're suffering from! It is a symptom of the teen years that you have all the certainty of being right, with none of the wisdom!

Learn more about this author, J Miller.
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