Even back in the dark ages when I was young, it was commonly understood that graduating from high school was a prerequisite for any kind of success, and it was even fairly clear that at least some college might be useful. So it's discouraging that, at this late date, so many still aren't getting the message:
Chamber president Kevin Brinegar said the report, which estimates that more than 20,000 young Hoosiers drop out of high school every year, does not bode well for the state's work force.
"Dropping out of high school in today's economy is the equivalent of an economic death sentence," Brinegar said.
It's doubtful there are any easy answers, though we might have been further along if school systems hadn't been underestimating the scope of the problem by inflating their graduation-rate estimates. I wonder, though. If kids are so thick-headed that they don't comprehend the need for high school diplomas, are they really going to have such wonderful lives even if they are somehow browbeaten enough to stick it out for all four years?
