Mégane Van de Walle
5/11/22
AMEFIA
AMEFIA
EDUCATION
Teenagers dropping out of school has been a problem for many years in Amefia. However, the number of students deciding to quit high school has never been this high. We did research to find where the problem lies and what can be done to prevent this in the future.
Hard work pays off
Many young citizens want to start working. In Northern Amefia they start working in the copper mines, in the South you find a lot of teenagers working on the opium fields. This derives from the saying: ‘Hard work pays off!’, a phrase used by families to encourage their children to go for what they want in life. They dream of having a nice car, big house, … and believe that if they start working at a young age, they can earn enough to make all their dreams come true. The only problem that comes with this, is that so many youngsters want to work that there is actually not enough work. This leads to a high unemployment rate.
Group pressure
When a lot of your friends decide to start working, it’s hard to keep motivation for school. Expert in social relationships Julia Basset: ‘Seeing friends getting new things such as designer clothes or a brand new phone can make teenagers feel like they are not doing enough for the things they want. It puts a lot of pressure on them.’ This means that group pressure can lead to more students dropping out.
A bright future
But what about the future? In Amefia, students have to be educated until they’re 16 years old. Minister of education Joe Smith has been wanting to raise that to 18 years old. However, it wouldn’t solve all problems. It is important to highlight the benefits that come with staying in school. Studying a couple more years can mean a huge difference in the future. For example, having a higher function means a higher pay.
We can conclude that the teenagers in Amefia are leaving school to go for their dreams. They want to start working to earn money and buy nice things. The students are also highly influenced by their peers. It will be important to push all young citizens to stay in school and keep them motivated.