The number of teenage dropouts was estimated to be 412,587 nationwide as of 2017. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly half of the teenage school dropouts in Seoul have left school because they “could not find the meaning of school,” a recent report showed.
According to a survey conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute on 753 of the teenagers who quit school from 2015 to last year, the number of teenage dropouts was estimated to be 412,587 nationwide as of 2017.
There are 87,341 out of school youth in Seoul, one out of five, according to the researchers. Gangnam District, home to a large number of wealthy people, was the largest with 1,319 out of school youth.
Of the respondents, 77.3 percent said they live in middle-class families.
As for the reason why they quit school, 45.9 percent of students cited “No reason to attend meaningless school.” It was followed by 32 percent citing “Psychological and mental issues.”
Meanwhile, a program that requires students to deliberate on their decisions by providing counseling or career exploration programs was poorly utilized, although three out of five students received guidance.
The researchers divided teenage dropouts into three types: “academic type,” “career type” and “unemployed type.”
A whopping 60.6 percent of the total were classified as the “academic type,” who quit school and are preparing for qualification exams or the college entrance exam.
Some 24.3 percent were identified as “career types,” who were learning a trade and finding a job. There were 15.1 percent classified as the “unemployed type,” who were not in school and not economically active.
Among career types, 17.4 percent said they already work more than eight hours a day.
In addition, 23 percent of teenage dropouts said they had “not decided on a career path”, even failing to decide on plans such as going to work or taking state-run qualification exams.
“The longer the suspension of school, the more youth are unable to decide their career path,” the researchers said. “We need to promote career education for jobless youths.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
