High School Drop Out: A Community Problem with an Enduring Impact

From failing financial markets to a weakening environment it’s clear that the next generation needs to be stronger, smarter and more innovative in order to tackle these difficult issues.

And yet, high rates of high school drop out continue to plague certain communities, like Verdun.
In 2007, 25.3% of students in Quebec left high school without obtaining a diploma. In Verdun, this proportion was close to double, with certain schools reaching an astonishing rate of 49.3%.
– Statistics from the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, 2003-2007.

Why?

High school drop out is a community problem.

• Close to 40% of the households in the Verdun communities served by TE fall below the poverty line*.

The population of downtown Verdun is characterized by a low level of schooling, lower income, a greater number of teen pregnancies and shorter life expectancy.

• 26 % of individuals living in the Verdun communities served by TE are without a high school diploma*.

This proportion is higher than the Montreal average of 22.8%, as well as that of the rest of Quebec (25%).

• Over 40% of the area’s households are headed by single-parent families*.

According to a recent report by Statistics Canada young women are more likely to leave school because they are pregnant or have children.

*Source: Agir ensemble a Verdun: Portrait et Enjeux Socioeconomiques du Territoire. Christian Jette et Christian Paguette, Laboratoire de recherche sur les pratiques et les politiques sociales. Statistics provided by Statistics Canada, 2009