COMMENTARY: Let’s Give Teens a Break

c. 2000 Religion News Service (Dale Hanson Bourke is the author of five books and the mother of two sons.) (UNDATED) When Prince William turned 18 years old, his life became an open book. The news and entertainment media examined everything from his taste in vests to his choice of university. But one decision no […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

(Dale Hanson Bourke is the author of five books and the mother of two sons.)

(UNDATED) When Prince William turned 18 years old, his life became an open book. The news and entertainment media examined everything from his taste in vests to his choice of university. But one decision no one seemed to question was his decision to take a year off between the British equivalent of our high school and college in order to travel.


That’s because the “gap year,” as it is known to Brits, is a common occurrence. As the mother of two teens, I have to say it sounds like a jolly good idea for the colonists too.

Back in the dark ages when I attended high school it wasn’t all that unusual for a high school student to work for a year before going to college. Some colleges even seemed to encourage it.

Not any more. When my oldest son and I attended an information session at a prestigious college recently, one father asked the admissions director how often a student gained admission and then deferred enrollment for a year.

The admissions director looked surprised by the question. “Rarely. Maybe never,” he said as if the father had asked a socially unacceptable question. Teens and parents glanced at one another in recognition that such a notion meant a mark against them.

At our high school during a college information session a parent asked the same thing. “It’s a very bad idea to even think about it,” stated our school counselor. “Unless, of course, you need the year to do something like train for the Olympics.”

We got the point.

But what’s so bad about taking a year off? High schools, anxious to prove themselves by their college admissions, don’t like what it might indicate about their preparation record. Colleges, seemingly anxious to nail down their freshman class increasingly through early admissions, don’t seem to be inclined toward flexibility.

But what about the teens? Many head straight from killer study and sports schedules right into college without much time to think about what really interests them. Few even take time for summer jobs any more since they are supplementing school-year studies with college-impressing summer sessions.


By the time they hit college, they have had little real-world experience and know little about what they enjoy beyond academics and sports.

And what about their role in society? Teens today often seem spoiled and aimless, frustrated by the lifestyles their parents have constructed for them.

What if teenagers had the option of spending a year between high school and college in service? Instead of a “gap year,” what if we promoted a “filling the gaps” year in which healthy young people worked to fill the gaps in our society?

They could work as tutors and classroom assistants for inner-city schools. They could assist with the youth programs in their places of worship. Those with language skills could become more proficient by teaching English as a second language or doing literacy training with immigrants.

Some organizations might even be able to place young people in jobs overseas where they could do health education or assist in building shelters or wells. Almost every nonprofit could benefit from the computer skills of the average young person.

If the government backed such a program it could reward colleges by offering grant money to provide credit hours for such work. Nonprofits could develop job descriptions and provide minimum-wage salaries.


A high school senior could gain admission to the college of his or her choice with the understanding that enrollment would be deferred for a year. If the colleges understood this produced a more mature, motivated student, many would come to view this as an extra incentive to admit a student, just as many graduate schools now prefer to admit students who have had real world experience.

Students could gain up to a semester credit in sociology, religion, language or business, depending on their work choice. And nonprofits would gain young, motivated workers who wanted to make a difference. By the time a student entered college, he or she might have a much better idea of what to study and why.

The program wouldn’t be hard to initiate. It would mostly take a change in attitude on behalf of colleges and high school counselors. Many parents quickly understand the advantages. Many teens do too.

So let’s take an idea from the Brits and then take it a step further. Let’s give our teens a chance to give something back to society and learn more about themselves before they start another round of studies.

DEA END BOURKE

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