children out of school in america - University of Tennessee Digital ...

vary. But while many of them describe situations
one can easily imagine youngsters being in, it is hard
to understand why exclusion from school is the result.
For example, over 10 percent of the children
we surveyed who were out of school did not attend
because of suspension and expulsion. But only a
small proportion of offenses were serious or dangerous
enough to warrant throwing a child out of school.
5.8 percent of the children excluded were pregnant
and an additional 2.4 percent wanted to get married.
Why are these children not entitled to an education?
Most importantly, many of the reasons given for
being out of school reflected a child's or a family's
need for help. Handicaps, retardation, having to stay
home to care for other children, or not speaking
English should be signals to a school that additional
assistance is necessary to enable these children to go
to school. All too often schools closed their eyes to
these signs.
TABLE I
REASONS GIVEN FOR CHILDREN OUT OF
SCHOOL 45 DAYS OR MORE
Did not like school
Habitual truancy
Barriers, such as
Pregnancy
Employment
School would not readmit
Could not afford to attend
Child deemed "too young"
Wanted to marry
Had to help at home
No transportation to school
Difficulty with English
Total
Special needs, such as
Sick or injured
Mentally retarded or slow
learner
Physically handicapped
Multiply handicapped
Emotionally disturbed
Total
Disciplinary actions, such as
Expulsion
Suspension
Total
Others, such as
Child afraid to go to school
or parents afraid to send
Parents moved and thought it
too late to enroll child
Multiple reasons
Family problems
Institutionalized with no
educational program
Parent opposed to busing and
would not send child
Parents did not like school
and withdrew child
Total
5.8%
5.5%
5.0%
4.5%
3.4%
2.4%
1.9%
1.3%
0.8%
8.5%
2.1%
1.6%
1.3%
1.3%
6.1%
4.8%
2.4%
1.6%
0.5%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
27.8%
10.3%
30.6%
14.8%
10.9%
5.7%
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