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Breaking the Cycle of Failure

A Funder's Primer in Understanding Canada's School Drop-out Epidemic

Bri Trypuc and Adam Heller, September 2008.

Imagine your life without a basic education. Unable to read. Or count change. In today's economy you would face a bleak future, struggling with a life of poverty. This is the prospect for many school drop-outs.

Ci's Education Report shows that preventing early academic failure and improving school attendance are needed to tackle Canada's drop-out epidemic. It also highlights charities with proven success in helping at-risk youth graduate from school.

Did you know...

• 40,000 young Canadians drop out of school each year
• 40% of drop-outs have less than a grade 10 education
• Early education is critical, with a third of all drop-outs identified before grade 4

Funders can make a difference by helping charities that are:

• Tutoring and mentoring at-risk students in academics, career and life choices
• Dedicated to keeping students attending school
• Offering proven, innovative alternatives to local schools

"Before I did this research, I thought a drop-out was a 'bad kid' problem, and dropping out was his problem. But the reality is that bad kids and bad neighbourhoods are quite irrelevant. Far too many kids are dropping out of school too early, many less than 15 years old. Dropping out is a snowball of self-destruction, a future without hope, and we're all paying for it. I do not understand how it is acceptable to let this continue."
- Bri Trypuc, Research Analyst

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