I dropped out. I would say it was due to bordom and frustration, and the inability to make myself understood most of the time to most of my teachers.
So the rate is not _exactly_ 0%. In my giftie highschool, though, the drop-out rate was higher than average for the city. I don't remember anyone ever really commenting on it, except a few kids from other schools saying "you know someone who dropped out?!?!?!" We also had a *lot* of people who never came to class, but were kept off the "drop out" list in odd ways. This happened to me several times. Actually, now that I think about it, I technically do not count as having dropped out I just somehow graduated with a technical dip. (not sufficient for entering university) from an academic school that didn't offer that programme (different # of years, different requirements, all back-engineered when I dropped out w/ course-names "re-jigged" etc.)
Many more people graduating from my high-school dropped out of university durring their first year. I don't know how the number relates to broader numbers, but in the case of my own group of friends, the number was startlingly high, maybe 50%, probably more, though many returned later & went through to advanced degrees. I can't help noticing that the ones who dropped out are mostly the ones who *did* go on to advanced degrees.
I suspect educational systems are different enough from place to place that it only really makes sence to talk about this one locally. And I think dropping out to homeschooling should count in some, but not all, contexts. If all the gifties are dropping out to homeschool, the school is clearly not serving them well, eh? But if all the homeschool/dropouts make something of themselves, well, apparently they made the correct decision & life in general did NOT fail them, maybe the best way to support them would be to support homeschooling.
Meh, this one caught my eye because people tried SO HARD to keep me in school, and I tried SO HARD to stay, and my decision to drop out had a lot to do with my mental health (I was becomming increasingly depressed and suicidal & knew it). Dropping out was the single best decision I ever made. It was also the single worst. I genuinely do not think I'd have survived another year, and it was clear from the experiece of going to community college the next year, both to myself and others, that that was the case & that I was a "different person" a few months later. BUT. I have never been able to recover from the lack of university qualifications. I'm attending an open university to try and get through an undergrad, while publishing in my field and raising an intense toddler. The timelines do not compute & I'm droppin' out again. On the 30th, to be precise. Maybe I'll try again, but I have sincere doubts. Wish me luck on my stats exam
-Mich
