VOL. V, NO. 3

October 18, 1963

Illinois Rate Of Dropout
Reaches High

Editor's note:

"A letter was written to the governor requesting his views on the dropout problem. Governor Kerner's answer is printed below."

I am pleased to see the interest you have shown in school dropouts, which is one of the most alarming problems presently facing our schools.

In Illinois alone the number of dropouts exceeds 10,000 students a year. These dropouts set off a chain reaction which often leads to chronic unemployment and juvenile

delinquency. National surveys show that dropouts shortchange themselves economically, with the average high school graduate earning about twice as much during his lifetime as the persons who dropout three to four years earlier. Labor Market Declines

As the market for unskilled labor continues to shrink, the disparity appears bound to increase. It is a hard fact of life that employers prefer persons who have finished high school and who often do not require additional technical or on-the‑job training.

Studies show that dropouts often wind up on relief, in prisons, or, at best, in casual, low‑paid employment. There are exceptions, of course. But it is obvious that it is a harder pull for the non‑high school graduate than the student who stayed in until he received his diploma.
It is impossible in this brief letter to completely cover such a complex field as the high school dropout problem. But I hope I have given you an idea of the difficulties that a student may face who falls in that category.

Thank you for taking time to write. It presages well for our future that young citizens are already interested in these critical problems.

Sincerely,
Governor Kerner