Just wondering. And if so, were you able to go back later on and finish? I barely made it in under the wire, so to speak, but my three younger siblings had to quit (Our Dad made them--he said they would be better off "pioneering" but in reality he put them to work in a gardening business he started since he had quit HIS job and maxed his credit cards--waiting for "the END".) They were 14, 15, and 16.
Anyone here drop out of high school pre 1975?
by Threestars 15 Replies latest jw experiences
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NewYork44M
I graduated highschool in 1975. There were a few that I was personally aware of that quit school prior to 1975 to pioneer.
The two that come to mind, an elder's daughter and my cousin are no longer in the organization.
While there may not have been the peer pressure to quit school around then, there was a tremendous amount of pressure not to continue your education.
Thankfully I did not listen.
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south african beef
No I didn't drop out of school but I remember as my mum and dad drove me up the driveway to my secondary (high) school in 1973 they said 'this will be your school until armageddon'.
I went back there a couple of years ago and the school no longer exists - it's been demolished ready for housing.
If it had been my school until armageddon just think how much I would have learned by now - I would be super brainy!
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AK - Jeff
I graduated in 1973 - but dropped out of any further education. In fact - though I was able to get good grades without studying, I left my grades fall a lot due to knowing the end was about here.
I did not feel any pressure here to quit hs - though many in our cong did and finished with home schooling.
Jeff
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Highlander
I was born in 1975 so this thread doesn't quite apply to me, however I would like to make a comment.
During my High School years I recall having a discussion with my mom about education. At that time I was a believer that Armaggedon was just around the corner.
I told her that I didn't want to further my education, and that I also wanted to drop out of H.S. cuz armaggedon was so close! I didn't drop out, and I did attend a 2 year trade school.
I'm quite disappointed in myself though. During my H.S. years, I put very little effort into education. I did well on the exams and tests, which compensated for never doing my
homework.
Despite anti-education pressure that I received, it is still ultimately my fault for not applying myself. I very much regret my laziness at that time.
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Lady Lee
Just wondering. And if so, were you able to go back later on and finish?
My mother forced me to quit high school in 1968 so that I could take care of her kids while she worked. I completed Grade 10.
After I left the JWs in 1985 I took 2 courses at a commumity college and passed. That helped me get accepted into a professional college program.
In Quebec they have a program for mature students. After completion of a certain amount of credits you can be accepted into the regular progams.
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Narkissos
I dropped out in 1975 to pioneer, one year before (not) graduating, to the amazement of my peers and dismay of my teachers. That was the earliest I could do as I was 16 then and school was mandatory until 16. As stupid as it may seem it was really my choice; I was never a strong believer in 1975 per se, so this was not the real issue. I enjoyed school very much but I was not attracted to "career" and money -- the general Zeitgeist of the early 70s, no doubt, and a particular reaction to a relatively wealthy family which money had made pretty ugly in my view.
When I was df'd for apostasy over 10 years later, I still didn't care for career (I was single). So I followed on my religious path and that quickly led me back to formal education, although in the field of theology. Another 20 years later, with a 10-year old daughter, I can see the (relative) impracticality of this path but I still own to it to a large extent. Regardless of the WT it was mine, and I don't regret trusting my daimôn. I'd rather like my daughter to pursue what she likes and believes (hopefully in a smarter way) than what pays off materially, if the two happen not to coincide.
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blondie
I graduated pre-1975. There was no big push not to finish high school in my area although one elder's daughter did quit school and another sister quit to get married. The elder's daughter had her parents' conditional approval. When the end did not come in 1975, she got her GED and worked in her father's business. The other one had to go back and get her diploma. People tended to view it as extreme. But there are 2 large universities in that area and the work market is very competitive.
Blondie
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gaiagirl
There was a brother in my congregation who had dropped out of school in the early '70s to work in his fathers business, installing underground lawn sprinklers. He later got his G.E.D., then eventually moved away to somewhere in central Texas.
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zagor
Yep, not me but a couple of my older cousins have. Poor ladies never finished any schooling both got married early with bunch of kids pulling their skirts and wondering where was the promised new order. Both of them have had series of disasters about which I rather wouldn't talk here but it is enough to mention.