A high school senior awaits graduation. Staff file photo.This has been a happy season of the year for thousands of our proud high school graduates, and for their family and friends.
But sadly, we are reminded that there are far too many dropouts, meaning their future in life may be blighted economically as well as intellectually.
It has been reported that about 2,100 students dropped out of high schools in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area in the 2010 school year.
That area includes Hamilton, Marion and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee, and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in Georgia.
While many graduates happily plan to go to college for further study, to enter the work force or to join the military, those who have left school without earning a diploma have far fewer options.
There are, of course, lots of positive "dollar differences" enjoyed by most people who graduate from high school compared with those who drop out. In addition, a good education opens doors for personal fulfillment through further intellectual development.
So education clearly has both tangible and intangible benefits.
We enthusiastically congratulate our region's high school graduates, and we encourage those who still have studies ahead of them to complete their courses.
But we also urge some who are contemplating dropping out to "think it over," and broaden their opportunities by staying in school.
It's obviously true that "it's never too late to learn." But it's generally a lot easier if we advance without interrupting our education at an early age.