What are the Portuguese doing?

Seriously though? I’ve just read an article printed in the Toronto Star and it talks about the high dropout rate Portuguese students have, which is up to 34%. This is 10% higher than the overall dropout rate for Toronto which is 24%. Read the article here.

Now they are tossing around the idea of doing a school for Portuguese students as they did with African American students. Many are against the idea, because the Portuguese culture is already very prominent in Toronto. Also, since many of these students are first or second generation Canadian, they believe that with more modernized parents that the dropout will decrease. I don’t think a school for Portuguese students is necessary. All this will create is a bunch of different cultures wanting their own school and this will only equal out to separation across Toronto; sure to spread across Canada if its permitted.

I agree that students with parents born and raised in Canada will have a smaller dropout rate. I think parents will be less willing to let their children go into construction, factory work and janitorial services and are going to be pushing more towards furthering education. Not saying that these aren’t completely respectable forms of employment, as they are. But many immigrants went into these jobs because they lacked education and could easily acquire these skills on site.

I just don’t see how this dropout rate is so high. I am first generation Canadian. My parents have stereotypical European immigrant jobs and my parents pushed an education on me. High school, university and post university education. I don’t even want to know what would have happened, had I not taken this route.

But where are all the Portuguese students going? Like what are you doing with your time? I hope they are not simply going into those jobs I listed above. Your parents or grand parents came to this country to give you a better life, a better education. Anyone would be a fool not to take advantage of that.

Till tomorrow.