The United States Education Department’s latest survey states that roughly two percent of university students each year attend college having never finished high school. This means that roughly 400,000 university students are accepted each year to college programs despite lacking a high school diploma or equivalent degree. Although there are many pressing problems with public education (lack of funding, shortage of teachers, low standards, poor curriculums, and an outdated infrastructure to name a few), I could barely believe that even one high school dropout would be admitted to college, let alone 400,000! This trend needs to be reversed immediately for the good of the system, the students, and the faculty.

Admitting students to college without a high school diploma is bad for the entire education system. Not only does this trend water down colleges, it drastically diminishes the importance of high school. All of a sudden, a high school diploma means next to nothing. And subsequently, the importance of a college degree will be weakened as well. The education system is based on promotion. If you do well at one level, you advance to the next. The No Child Left Behind Act strengthens this system because it gives administrators concrete evidence on a student’s progress. However, if students are allowed to move up levels without having passed the previous ones, the system suffers.  The system becomes unreliable and loses its credibility which will eventually hurt our children.

Students who attend college without a high school diploma are hurting themselves. Not only are they ill prepared educationally, they are most likely lacking the social, physiological, and mental skills that it takes to succeed in higher education. College is not easy. There are no parents telling you to do your work. There are no bells alerting you to head to class. Professors rarely check attendance and usually put great emphasis on exams instead of participation or homework. Successful college students are usually the ones who have the self discipline and motivation to always attend class, scrupulously take notes, and handle the assigned reading on time, and study even when no exam is imminent. Successful college students usually participate wholeheartedly, visit their professor’s office hours, and seek out help from their advisors and mentors. High school dropouts rarely have developed these skills, discipline, or motivation. High school dropouts are simply not ready for college life and should focus on earning a high school diploma before entering college. This will provide them the basic framework - study habits, work ethic, writing skills, speaking experience, and test taking ability – for succeeding in college. Yes, I’m sure many people could do just fine in college without a high school diploma, but the point is not to just earn a diploma, it’s to honestly educate yourself.

High school teachers and faculty are hurt when colleges accept students without a high school diploma. Essentially high school teachers and faculty are being told: we don’t need you anymore. “If you help out the students, fine. But it doesn’t really matter anyways, because we’re letting them in regardless.” Not only does the faculty lose their importance, but they lose their leverage. No longer can they dangle the college carrot stick to motivate students to work harder in class, on homework, or during tests. No longer can teachers claim that attendance matters, participation is important, or diplomas are the way out. By allowing students to slip into college through the back door, teachers and faculty are completely undercut.

Although high school dropout rates are exceedingly high, lets be honest, it’s not that difficult for the average person to earn a high school diploma or equivalent degree. Yes, many people face tragic situations that make education extremely complicated, but the fact is, most kids can do it. If you attend class, take notes, study, and try your best, you’re going to pass. It’s that simple. Of course there are students with deficiencies who need to do more, but for the average student, all it takes to earn a high school diploma is hard work.

Once you earn a high school diploma, you are on your way. Regardless of your economic status, you can then attend college. Once in college, if you can adjust to the new surroundings, the same qualities that helped you pass high school, will allow you to succeed in college. And once you earn that college diploma, you have set the groundwork to become a success for the rest of your life. A high school diploma is an outstanding achievement and an accomplishment that every student should be proud of. No college should take away this experience from a student, nor should colleges diminish the education system, and weaken the importance of high school faculty members by admitting kids who never earned a high school diploma.