Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

Hands-on learning vital for some potential dropouts

The Kennebec Journal’s Our Opinion on July 19, “Kids' futures depend on their staying in school,” raises some excellent points. I’d like to add one more.

The Department of Education suggested certain curriculum cuts that it deemed necessary. These courses, I believe, will have a direct effect on potential dropouts.

First, all students do not learn by book knowledge; some learn best through hands-on experience. Home economics and industrial arts are two such courses.

As a Maine principal for more than 40 years, I can attest to hundreds of kids completing high school because of these two courses.

One of life’s precious rules is: Everyone must have an experience at being successful  at something to prevent dropping out of everything.

The dropout rate may range from 5 percent to 25 percent of a school’s population. That’s a lot of kids.

Some say the central technical schools solve this problem, but I believe they solve only a small percent because they address the needs of only high school juniors and seniors on a slotted system. So not all are selected. Plus, the greatest percentage of kids dropping out occurs in grades 7 through 10.

These two courses give them a chance for success where they may not find it in academic classes, thus keeping them in school longer.

This may well be the last opportunity for many of these kids, in an academic enviroment, before they become a burden to themselves and society.

My experience in education was that the college-bound student often learned in spite of what we did academically, whereas potential dropouts need nurturing, encouragement, reinforcement, love and understanding.

I wonder where “No Child Left Behind” fits into the state’s cuts program? I wonder where additional RSU adminisrative costs justify it?



Ronald Moody

retired school administrator

Monmouth