Students At War With Education

1960's youth fight for love not war

The 1960's was the peak of the high school drop out rate and ever since then the rate has decreased. The percentage of high school dropouts, ages 16-24, has declined since 1960. The percentage of male students who dropped out of high school has decreased from 27.8% in 1960 to 8.5% in 2010. The percentage of female dropouts has decreased from 26.7% to 6.3%. Views, morals and beliefs were all different in the 1960’s, especially students with education. How students view education now compared to how it was viewed in the 1960’s has changed.  The stress of school is more severe now then it ever has been. Don't get me wrong, I am not stating that we  have it harder than the students in the 1960's but we do have more pressure to stay in school. “The 1960s were a period when long‐held values and norms of behaviour seemed to break down, particularly among the young. Many college‐age men and women became political activists and were the driving force behind the civil rights and antiwar movements. Other young people simply “dropped out” and separated themselves from mainstream culture through their appearance and lifestyle.” Students were dedicating their time towards being political activists so school was not as important. They were for peace and love and fixing their present. From personal experience, I am very aware of my future and that my decisions in school now will affect my future. I don’t believe the youth of the 1960’s were as conscious or had the same worries about that. They were more in the now and how they can change the world now. They had more drastic things to worry about like war and racism, in a way they chose fighting for their rights over staying in school, which most people would have done if born in that generation. Our generation doesn't have all that to worry about, the previous generations fought for us and for better lives for our generation. I could barely take a day off to relax and not do homework let alone drop out. Dropping out is something that I never even considered. Values were different back then, but I’m just talking in general theres always those few people outside of the norm.  

Students becoming political activists. 

Going against your parents beliefs and rebelling against them was a trend in the 1960’s. Dropping out of school was one of those things that would really get them mad, so many students did. Now and days I feel and most students as well have the same beliefs as their parents that school comes first. There is not much rebelling against them or the urge to. In a way its as if the youth of the 1960’s fought for our rights and we are now living them. There will always be students who drop out for no matter which reasons in our generation but I don't believe there will be a movement like there was in the 1960’s of the youth culture.