Category: High School

Imagine having a solid belief in something and then having that whole point of view changed forever. What was once believed and deemed as right may not be what it seems. Someone can appear way different than they truly are. People who pertain to the theater are split between Sharpay deserving more than what she got and if Gabriella and Troy were the good guys. Sharpay should be considered the protagonist of the HSM series because she worked harder than any of the other characters, she helps everyone yet still gets put down, and she has a positive outlook on everything. She gets a reputation but it was not justified to have her treated the way she was treated.

Although this argument is veracious, there are those who disagree. Sharpay could be the antagonist because antagonists are seen as going against the general message of the story; Sharpay is seen as going against the main characters [Troy and Gabriella]. However, she helps many characters throughout the movies. She helps Troy with his future, gets Gabriella into the theater, and saves the show in the third movie. The song “Were All In This Together” really defeats her being seen as going against them. At the end of the first movie, she is getting along with Gabriella. Sharpay could be seen as a self-absorbed drama queen just wanting Troy Bolton. She is very talented and has many goals for her future. While their point of view on the subject is acknowledged, their opinions are incorrect.

One of the strongest supporting claims is Sharpay’s actions towards others. Sharpay comes across as impertinent even though she is just teaching Troy and Gabriella how show business works. Sharpay states, “Oh were you [Gabriella] gonna sign up too? My brother and I have starred in all the school productions and we really welcome newcomers. There are a lot of supporting roles in the show. I’m sure we could find something for you”. Everyone starts somewhere. You won’t always be guaranteed the lead role. Sharpay states, “I don’t want to hear any more about Troy and that Montez girl. So, if you’re telling me as co-presidents of the drama club that changing the callbacks would be what’s best for our theater program, I might actually agree with you”. Their teacher even agrees that the day of callbacks should be moved. Cambridge University Press states that “An antagonist is a person who is strongly opposed to something or someone”. Sharpay is just being welcoming to newcomers but also strives to be successful in theater herself.

Sharpay has many layers and the audience does not see the real Sharpay. Sharpay is seen as wanting Troy all to herself, but she is actually helping to set him on the right track. Sharpay is helping Troy with his future:

And don’t lecture me about Ryan given the way you’ve been interfering with Troy’s future. You’ve gotten him written up by Fulton for sneaking on the golf course and swimming after hours, I had to step in just to save Troy’s job.

She saves the show when everyone bailed. Jimmie Zara says, “You forgot the special. Where’s Troy? Okay, he’s around here somewhere. Hello! Send Troy in to see me I need to run the song”. Sharpay saved the show and included her classmates in the final show. Sharpay is caring and does a lot for others when they don’t give that energy back.

Sharpay gets made fun of for doing what she loves. Before Troy and Gabriella started doing the musicals, Sharpay was made fun of for doing them. Gabriella states, “I can’t do it, Troy, not with all these people staring at me”. In High School Musical Theory Claims Sharpay Was a Victim, Read-Dominguez states how this proves that Gabriella does not have what it takes to be the leading role over Sharpay. If you have the lead role in something you can not be freezing up. Gabriella says, “Callbacks at the same time as the game? And the scholastic decathlon? Why would they do that?” Gabriella and Troy were always late to auditions and even the callbacks. Gabriella was busy with her academic decathlon and Troy was busy with basketball. In Scholastic Scopes’s article High School Musical Encore, they state that “In 1608, popular was first used in English to say ‘admired by the people.’ The phrase popularity contest was coined in 1941”. Sharpay is admired but also has some people who try and get in her way. She is dedicated to the theater but she never got the roles she deserved. Troy and Gabriella, who are not dedicated to theater, get the lead roles.

In order for Sharpay to be the protagonist, she needs to change the way she speaks to others. Sharpay will need to portray her ideas and thoughts in a way that would be more accepted by her classmates. This will be beneficial for her because she could get better roles and be more involved with the wildcats of East High. Sharpay should also focus more on her future instead of others so that she can get the best for herself. Ultimately, if Sharpay had a change of communication, she would have gotten better treatment in the High School Musical movies.

Sharpay was the protagonist in High School Musical because she helped her classmates, was very generous, and fought for what she could get. The ways in which Sharpay helped her classmates was by giving them jobs at her parent’s golf resort and letting them star in the yearly show at the resort. Sharpay was generous for those reasons, as well as getting Troy into an amazing college even though he used her for his future with Gabriella. Sharpay fought for the roles she could get. She did not get the lead in the shows but still was a positive person after it.

Albert Einstein once said, “What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right.” These days, a popular idea appears to be that four-year colleges and universities are the only option for high school graduates to find a meaningful career. Some school counselors, teachers, and other educators pressure their students to attend four-year colleges or universities. They seem to be remiss in acknowledging a crucial concept: attending four-year colleges may not be for everyone. Some students have special limitations or no intrinsic interest in post-secondary academics at the college level. Despite society’s favoritism towards young people attending four-year colleges, such individuals should consider that there may be alternatives more suitable to them than attending such colleges directly after high school.

One option for students who would still like to work toward a college degree but have situations impeding them is junior college. Unfortunately, four-year colleges have exorbitantly high tuition, and that is a problem that many young people face. According to the College Board in 2019, the average cost of in-state tuition and room and board for a year at a public four-year college in the United States is $21,950 (“Average Published Charges”). Because tuition expenses are rising faster than the average family income, students who attend these schools must take out student loans at an increasing rate to cover the costs (Owen and Sawhill 322). In contrast, the average cost of tuition and room and board for a junior college is $12,720 (“Average Published Charges”). Junior colleges may not be as prestigious in name, but that should not deter prospective college students from considering these schools as a viable strategy to save themselves money. In the long run, attending junior colleges is much more cost-effective than going to universities directly after high school. Although the cost of schooling is a large obstacle to consider, there are other factors that act as barriers to students attending four-year colleges.

Another roadblock some high school graduates stumble upon is that their academic history may not be acceptable to four-year colleges. Nevertheless, community colleges generally accept everyone who applies regardless of grade point average or courses completed in high school. As Liz Addison states in her essay “Two Years Are Better Than Four,” community college “unconditionally allows its students to begin” (366). What Addison is saying is that two-year colleges are the perfect starting point for individuals to explore new educational opportunities that they may not have considered before. These schools also offer safe environments for individuals to learn and improve as scholars. In addition, these schools provide programs uniquely catered to the success of students with disadvantaged backgrounds. For example, Riverside City College (RCC) has an organization on campus called “Transitioning Minds” dedicated to assisting formerly incarcerated individuals and other individuals negatively affected by the prison system in gaining meaningful skills, support, and education regardless of educational history (“Transitioning Minds”). RCC also offers “Extended Opportunity Programs and Services” (EOPS) to provide students who have disadvantaged educational or income backgrounds with the resources necessary for their educational success (“EOPS”). The most important part of community colleges is their unique potential to prepare students of all backgrounds for transfer to universities and impart them with skills essential for their success in higher education.

There are some people who graduate high school but do not feel ardent about continuing their education at the college level; one possibility for such individuals is apprenticeship. After high school, society seems to present young people with only two options: attending college or working in a “dead-end” or labor job. Although the public appears to not often advertise them as a choice, apprenticeship programs have the potential to advance members of society with hands-on training. Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham, Alabama believes that the government should be doing more to encourage apprenticeships for not only blue-collar jobs but also other fields such as technology (qtd. in Hackman). In Germany, such a system exists, and Mayor Woodfin is correct in saying that the United States should examine and contemplate a standardized apprenticeship system more seriously. In fact, in Germany, only about two-thirds of people attend college. The remaining third of individuals elect to receive valuable skill sets related to their chosen field of apprenticeship. In the United States, seventy percent of high school graduates enroll in college, but only a scanty thirty-seven percent graduate after eight years (Hackman). Consequently, this is one alternative that would aid non-college graduates in increasing their earnings, so we must regard it thoughtfully.

Besides apprenticeship, vocational school is a feasible program to teach individuals specific trade skills. While there is an abundance of financial aid for traditional college students, our government and society seem to forget students enrolled in trade schools and vocational programs. College students can typically expect to have some type of financial assistance from the government and other programs. College students generally have the ability to take advantage of federal financial aid, tax breaks, useful programs through their schools, and many other programs; the value of all these various forms of assistance is about 150 billion dollars annually (Cass). Meanwhile, technical and vocational programs lack crucial funding to accommodate the recruits participating in them. In contrast with college financial aid, all aggregate monetary assistance offered to individuals in vocational school is only a paltry one billion dollars annually (Cass). This is an egregious inequity and disservice to not only trade school newcomers, but also American society, and we ought to rectify it. Vocational programs are essential and attainable for improving the career prospects of non-college graduates, so the government and high schools should legitimize their merit as substitutes.

There are some people who would even take the idea of supporting apprenticeships and vocational programs even further. In the article “College Isn’t for Everyone” by Oren Cass, he outlines that society seems to believe that “everyone can be a college graduate” but rightly acknowledges that this is not the case. In another article, “Should Everyone Go to College?” by Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, even though they generally see college as a positive choice, they realize that it would be misguided to invariably prod all high school students into attending college (329). Furthermore, Cass proposes that there is more that the government and high schools can do to better accommodate students who would not be college-bound. For the same amount of money per student that we currently spend in taxes each year, our high schools could instead offer two years of traditional high school, a third-year split between a vocational program and subsidized internship, two more years split between subsidized employment and employer-sponsored training, and a savings account with $25,000 (Cass). This approach is novel and ingenious, and it would certainly better prepare high school students for the workforce in vocational fields without consuming their time on needless college planning. Indeed, our society would be irresponsible if it did not consider ideas like Cass’s to adapt schooling to incorporate more workforce training.

For a school shooting to be defined as such, it must be an act or attempt at first-degree murder involving two or more victims on a school’s campus. The horrible and tragic event is something we sadly experience in our life. It really is a shame that something like this happens and young lives are lost because one felt the need to end their lives via a school shooting. School shooters can and have been carried out by many different races, ages, and genders all across the world. A school shooter is not just one categorization, it is made up of all sorts of individuals who feel it is necessary to shoot and kill their peers. It’s a sensitive topic to talk about and a tragedy to even report. Young and innocent lives are taken by those fueled by hate, those who have been bullied by their pears and those on a mission to make this world we live in a living hell. A lot of research and studying have gone into this topic, trying to figure out what goes through the shooters head, why did the shooter take out those that he did,

There are different locations and places that a school shooting can occur at. Secondary school, college and adult shooters. School shooters all have different mindsets; traumatized shooters typically were abused as children, psychotic shooters tend to suffer from a mental disorder, and psychopathic shooters feel justified with their actions and feel like they are doing society a favor by doing the actions that they did. (space .M, 2016)

Olweus defines bullying as being victimized when one or more students expose him or her over time to negative actions. Trying to identify adolescent males at risk peer bullying will require time, more attention to detail, and being educated more on signs shown when an adolescent male is being bullied. Studies conducted within the article written by Reuter-Rice reported that those who were victims of bullying shows a lack of social and emotional adjustment to society and oftentimes have difficulty making friends and experience a greater loneliness than most others would. One reason why some students are victims of bullying is due to their sexuality. Back in 2002 the National Mental Health Association conducted a survey 760 adolescents from the ages of 12 to 17 and 78% of those teens who believed gay were teased and bullied at school because of that. Not a lot of research has gone into the study of the family of the bully and the victim of bullying in terms of understanding the potential causes of male violence (school shootings). The male adolescents who were victims of peer bullying had a close, positive relationship with their mother. There are four commonalities that might contribute to bullying behavior in boys; attitude towards the boy by whoever is the caretaker, open-mindedness towards aggressive behavior, emotional outbursts and the young boy seeing a bad relationship between both of his parents. Based upon multiple surveys that have been taken, students do not feel like school is really a safe environment to be in. (reuter-rice, K 2008)

School shootings rarely ever get ‘studied’ due to how rare and powerful the events are. Since that is the case, prior studies of school shootings are all based on and around the perpetrators motivation, their relationship to the victim(s), and the total number of victims that they have killed.

Violence, bullying and alienation that happen while at school have gotten widespread attention of reasons why the perpetrator feels like it is necessary to start opening fire on school grounds. Violent media, examples such as raging in movies and first person shooter video games have been ‘linked’ to possible reasons as to why a school shooting would occur. But, since 1980 the amount of violent media has gone up and the amount of school shootings has actually decreased since then. Although the amount of school shootings has gone down with the amount of violent media going up since the 1980’s, there has been a sharp increase in multiple victim homicides on school grounds (Agnich, L. E. (2015)).

Once a school shooting has occurred, the aftermath of one tends to raise a lot of concerns as to the motivation and the causes as to why this happened. Once the media has heard that a school shooting has occurred they are quick to cover the news, which although can be a good thing to get the news out there, it can sometimes lead to false assumptions as well as falsely stereotyping who a ‘school shooting perpetrator’ is or could be. Fritzon and Brun have conducted studies on factors that potentially lead up to school shootings such as the family environment at home, behavior aspects that caused them to ‘lash out’ and finally, the school environment that surrounds the perpetrator.

Leary (Leary et al. (2003)) believes that School shootings can be provoked by a real or imagined rejection or a relationship coming to an end. The three forms of rejection include teasing, ostracism (exclusion from society or group) and romantic rejection. A tragedy such as a rejection can spark an increase in aggression in those who feel like they are in a hostile environment.

Mental disorders have commonly been associated with offenders of school shootings. Mental disorders that have been associated with school shooting offenders are depression, personality disorder, lack of empathy, and suicidal. A school shooter dealing with depression is labeled as one who is hypersensitive to criticism, they are likely to anticipate rejection and they always seem suspicious to those around them. 28 school shooting perpetrators were conducted in a study and according to that study conducted by Gerard et al. (2015), 71 percent of the of the school shooters convicted of the act have been diagnosed with depression.

A study conducted by pellegrini (pellegrini et. al. 1999) has linked bullying victimization as well as violence in general to the perpetrator and the offender is often subjected to teasing, bullying and victimization at some point prior to the incident. School shooting offenders are often considered as ‘loners’. They have the feeling of sadness and loneliness along with that they feel like they do not fit in or belong anywhere (Ioannou, M., Hammond, L., & Simpson, O. (2015)).

Often times the child who pulls the trigger that ends the lives of his fellow teachers and/or classmates live a dark life and endures painful events long before the shootings occur. In 1992, a school shooting that occurred involved a 17-year-old high school student took the life of one of his teachers and a custodian who worked at that school. The 17 year old had a dark home life with his father having random episodes of physical violence and his mother was deemed as a mentally ill woman.

That same year another high school student, Eric Houston; killed his teacher and three of his classmates. Eric had endured painful home life from his abusive father. Eric’s father had become so violent with him that Eric suffered from organic brain damage. In 1997 Evan Ramsey shot and killed his principle and a fellow student. Evan had a father in prison as well as a neglectful, alcoholic mother. As a child Evan bounced around from foster home to foster home. Evan also got harassed by his fellow classmates; who loved to see him angry and rage. The three teenagers all suffered from a commonality of abusiveness and bullying which led them to make the decisions that they did which led to innocent lives being ended shorter than expected (Warnick, B. R., Johnson, B. A., & Rocha, S. (2010)).

Peer pressure can play a significant role in becoming a school shooter. Klebold and Harris were the two Columbine shooters who both had a negative impact upon one another. Together, those two threatened classmates, wore shirts to school that said ‘serial killer’, and together they spent over a year planning the deadly shooting at Columbine. Klebold and Harris were considered rejects by those who went to school with them, a Classmate of theirs described the Columbine as a ‘clean and good place minus those rejects (Klebold and Harris) most students did not want them here’ (Thompson S., & Kyle K., 2005).

Since 1998 school shootings in the United States have really gotten national media attention in regards to the increase of violence within our youth. With the increase of youth related violence that leads to school shootings; parents, teachers, and students all have a slight fear of showing up to school one day and a shooting breakout on their campus. The FBI started up what is called a threat assessment. With all the information gathered on male adolescents there are too many individual variations to truly get a distinct profile of who and what a school shooter is and can be. 71% of those who were convicted of a school shooting admitted to being bullied, threatened or injured prior to them lashing out and shooting up the school. (Reuter-Rice, K.2008)

Students are becoming more and more scared to be on campus with the amount of national media attention that school shootings get and how the next school shooting could happen on their campus. A quote from the Washington post ‘more than 187,000 students attending at least 193 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus during school hours,’ those numbers alone are scary to think about, especially since this article was published in 2018 and many more shootings have happened since then. (Metuchen Vol. 58, Iss. 4, 2018)

Although crime rates in the United States are declining, it seems to most Americans that school shootings are becoming more of an occurrence than they actually are, on average only about 10 school shootings occur per year, which is higher than it ever should be to begin with. One factor that makes Americans believe that school shootings happen more than they do is the amount of time the media covers the event. School shootings, on average, last about 10 minutes, but media coverage on the shooting can go on for days, weeks, even months after the shooting. Researchers studied the effects of media coverage of school shootings on college campuses and it shows that the more media attention one pays attention to regarding a shooting, the more fearful they become and the more likely they will think that an event like that will happen again. (Jaymi Elsass, H., Schildkraut, J., & Stafford, M. C.2016).

The United States has a much higher school-shooting rate than any of the other countries. Between 1966 and 2008, 44 school shootings occurred in the United States whereas during those same years only 7 school shootings occurred in Canada and 7 school shootings happened all across Europe. Between the years 2013 and 2015 20,25, and 31 out of the 50 states had a school shooting occur, which sadly had increased every year within those three years. During that same three-year period the amount of school shootings increased, just like the amount of states a school shooting occurred in increased as well. From 2013 to 2015 there were a total of 154 incidents of a school shooting; 35 in 2013, 55 in 2014 and 64 in 2013. Male perpetrators did the majority of the school shootings that occurred during 2013 and 2015. (Kalesan, B et. Al. 2017)

Since the 1970’s shooting ranges have been put on notice as a place with a high risk of lead exposure. You can be exposed to lead at shooting ranges from when you fire a gun and airborne pieces from gun are released to the air and you inhale them. Exposure to lead primarily targets the nervous system and has been linked to disorders such as behavioral changes. A study conducted of 118 people (87 shooters and 31 archers) was conducted and it shows that the shooters had a significantly higher blood lead level (79.8%) compared to the archers (22.6%). This study also shows that blood lead levels were significantly higher in those who went to the shooting range compared to those who use archery ranges (Naicker, N et. Al. 2018).

On April 26th, 2002, armed with a pistol and a shotgun; Robert Steinhauser, a 19 year old student from Erfurt, Germany went back to the high school he was just recently kicked out of and killed twelve of the teachers who worked at the high school, two students, a school secretary and a policeman before he decided to take his own life. Violent video games such as “quake” and “Soldier of Fortune” as well as a collection of violent films were discovered in Steinhauser’s room following investigations in relation to the school shooting. Prior to the occurrence of the school shooting; Steinhauser’s academic performance started to get worse and worse along with becoming a member of a local shooting club, he even started to assemble his own personal weapons arsenal. Steinhauser’s devotion and interest in the first person shooting video games have been linked to the reasons Steinhauser’s troubles at school had started to increase.

Just about three years after Steinhauser’s school shooting in Germany; another teenager, this time armed with guns, knives, and homemade explosives killed one student, himself wounded 37 others at his former high school in Emsdetten, Germany. The student; 18 year old Sebastian B, was described by the media as a loner and ultimately did what he did to destroy as many lives as he could and take as many of those lives with him, the description composed by the media were compiled by writings that they found in Sebastian’s journals and internet postings. Sebastian described himself as having a happy life until he started school, as well as he felt like the only thing that he learned while in school was that he was a loser. Just like Steinahuser, Sebastian was linked to similar first shooter video games following investigations of his actions at his old high school.

Following the tragic school shootings sprees that occurred in Germany, the German government started to turn their focus towards violent first person shooter video games and their connection to the shootings caused by Steinahuser and Sebastian. Kretschmer both reportedly but an extensive amount of time playing the first person shooter video games and that suggests that these games had played a role in the actions that these men did. The perpetrators trouble life at home and the school induce violence plus the violent video games played is a recipe for disaster when it comes to a potential school shooter similar to Steinhauser and Sebastian. But, although Steinhauser and Sebastian both played the violent video games, they both could have been provoked for different reasons to make them want to shoot up their schools.

The German government has started to decrease the promotion violent video and computer games. An example of ways the German government has cracked down on promotion of violent video and computer games is that they have started to restrict the sales of violent games to minors and the goal is to completely ban the sale of violent games. German legislators created the protection of young persons act, which allows them to place restrictions on the selling of video games that can be deemed as harmful.

Despite how graphic and how realistic the first person shooter video games seem, psychologists and social scientists are split in regards to whether video games are responsible for violent actions that occur in real life. German government officials, political party members and some interest groups all noticed a similarity between the German school shooters and their love for first person shooter video games and claim that by them playing the first person violent video games caused an increase in aggressiveness when not playing violent video games. (Diamond, N. 2013). The case of Germany attempting to restrict access to online killing games is a step in the right direction.

Further research that needs to take place in regards to school shootings is ways to prevent any more of these from happening. There has been way too many school shootings that have not only happened in the United States, but all across the world.

Imagine being a junior in high school, starting your college search, and dreaming about what you want to do and who you want to be, and then you realize you’ve got it all messed up. Flashback to freshman year of high school, we finally made it. Having no understanding that high school is completely different from middle school, I am still trying to fit in. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that being popular is not worth getting bad grades and slacking off. ‘Your future is what matters’ is something I wish I could tell my freshman-year self. I thought it would only get better from here but everything ended up falling apart. I lost all my best friends and I was accused and blamed for things I did not even do. Through the rumors I heard about me, I felt like I did not even know myself because I began to believe them. I always had anxiety and depression after my parent’s divorce, and when I lost all my friends, both of my mental health issues got worse. Panic attacks were a constant part of my nightly routine. Pill after pill to help the wandering thoughts that maybe it would be better if I ended my life right now so I do not have to live through this. Every time I let someone close to me, they always abandoned me, which caused abandonment issues, and I vowed to never let anyone in again. I was alone and trapped in a never-ending tornado of emotions. I wish I could have just moved on and not blamed myself for everything that happened because I was in a mental battle with myself. I made it through to the next step of my life, it was my junior year of high school, the year everyone says matters the most. It was time to put everything that happened in the past behind me and focus on making this year the best one yet.

The world never stops turning, and even if life hits you hard, you have to keep pushing through. This is my advice to freshmen in high school. The most important thing I have learned in my freshman year of high school is to never doubt yourself and who you are. Do not let what people say affect your views of yourself. I honestly am not good at following that motto though, I wish I could be better. I still compare myself to my twin sister, I still care about what people think of me, I am not proud of myself and my achievements, and the list of flaws goes on. I am not perfect, but neither is anyone else. I will always have to deal with my anxiety and depression, I will always have to take medicine every night, but I will always push through. I am not happy with how I was in my freshman year of high school, but that was just who I was and I have to accept that. You cannot change the past but you can write your future.

“An estimated 55.5 percent of all high school students play a sport (Jason Koebler). High school athletics refers to competition between other schools at the middle/junior high school and high school levels in the United States. The first athletic program was put in place in New York public schools by Luther Garlic in 1903. Over the next 12 years, 177 similar leaks were put together all over the United States. The purpose of these slow programs was simply to encourage a healthy strong body and strong mind through competitive exercises.

Although student-athletes have an increased risk of suffering injuries, studies have shown school sports provide great physical, mental, and academic benefits. Participating in athletics can be such an imperative part of High School. Taking part in high school sports can improve students’ overall health physically, academically, and socially. Although injuries can occur during sports the benefits outweigh the consequences. One of the main goals of high school sports is to improve students’ physical health. Additionally, another goal is the advancement of students’ educational responsibility in schools. School athletics should be contributing to the overall education of all students. Alternative goals of school sports logically follow from the educational responsibility of: citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork, respect, and health and welfare of all students not only during the school years but continuing into adulthood.

There are sincere bodily blessings while participating in excessive college sports, students exercise for 2-3 hours 5 days a week. High college Athletes are overall healthier because they spend their time exercising rather than watching TV or playing video video games. The fitness level of athletes in excessive school sports activities applications can’t be underestimated. According to a document from the National Federation of State High School Associations, a 2006 look at lady athletes found that when female students are given greater opportunities to participate in athletics in high faculty, their weight and frame mass improved. Not to mention, a 2001 survey observed that students agreed they would not spend as much time in sedentary activities like watching television and gambling video games if they had different alternatives after school (“The Case of High School Activities”). Therefore, while taking part in excessive college athletics in place of playing video games at domestic, college students work often which improves basic bodily health. Health advantages have a predominant gain whilst it comes to high school sports. Furthermore, with lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, stroke, and most cancers adults who participated in high college sports remain lively. Exercise facilitates to burning of calories within the body decreasing the possibility of obesity. Heart muscle performance and endurance are enhanced, increasing its performance and reducing the risk of heart diseases. Exercise triggers the usage of sugar in the blood. Glucose is converted into electricity therefore balancing the blood sugars. Sports additionally help in the combat against most cancers and different lifestyle diseases. It can lessen the risk of essential illnesses, which include coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer by way of as much as 50% and decrease the threat of early death by up to 30% (Nguyen). Also, an active lifestyle is safer than a sedentary student shifting rewards from positive senses and much less idle time. This helps motivate and refresh students in an effort to do a whole lot extra than they commonly would. Physical activity also can enhance shallowness, mood, nice of pleasant and energy, as well as reduce the threat of stress, depression, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s medically tested that those who do everyday physical interest have up to a 30% lower chance of despair and as much as a 30% lower danger of dementia (Nguyen). Exercising has so many blessings to a person’s health. Studies have established the bodily advantages that come with taking elements in excessive school athletics are numerous and provide for a tremendous lifestyle. Overall, participating in athletic programs can benefit college students’ physical health immensely. Although athletics commonly have an effective effect, when collaborating in excessive faculty athletics, injuries can be common. Across the United States over 1,000,000 injuries happened in high school sports activities. High school athletes account for an envisioned 2 million accidents, 500,000 health practitioner visits, and 30,000 hospitalizations annually. To date, the look at those injuries has been limited through the inability to calculate damage costs, compare results among groups, and generalize findings from small, nonrepresentative samples. As a matter of fact, at some point in the 2005-06 faculty year, researchers at a kid’s sanatorium in Ohio used an Internet-based records-collection device to pilot an injury surveillance gadget among athletes from a consultant country-wide pattern of U.S. high schools. This file summarizes the findings of that observation, which indicated that participation in excessive college sports led to a predicted 1. 1. four million injuries at a rate of 2.4 injuries in line with 1,000 athlete exposures (‘Benefits of Sports for Adolescents’). Sports injuries are constantly a gift danger to high school athletes. High faculty sports injuries can cause troubles which can lead to troubles later in life. For instance, out of all accidents in excessive school sports activities, the most arise in football and wrestling for boys and girls. An anticipated 1,442,533 accidents passed off among U.S. high faculty pupil athletes participating in practices or competitions for the nine sports activities studied. The ordinary (i.e., practice and competition) injury price in all sports combined becomes 2. Forty-four accidents in step with 1,000 athlete exposures(“Sports Related Injuries” 1038). Additionally, soccer had the highest harm price of 4.36 injuries in keeping with 1,000 athlete exposures accompanied via wrestling with 2.50, for boys and 2.43 for women, 2.36 for soccer, and girls’ basketball became 2.01. Boys’ basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball each had damage prices of less than 2. zero injuries in keeping with 1,000 athlete exposures (‘Sports Related Injuries” 1038). The chance of sports accidents for a student-athlete is something that can’t be denied. Many college athletes get injured every year and can suffer from those accidents gravely.

Although the risk of injury is prominent the blessings outweigh the risks. High college college students have numerous social benefits while partaking in athletics. Participation in high school activities is a valuable part of the standard excessive college experience, improving college students’ faculty engagement and experience of belonging. Moreover, an exam of information from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health showed robust proof that college extracurricular sports have been positively associated with children’s friendships, each assisting present friendships and developing new ones. Friendship ties were much more likely to exist among hobby participants at the same time as controlling for different friendship processes. The authors cited that extracurricular activities provide settings inside schools that are uniquely poised to sell friendships, as they may be usually voluntary, secure settings that allow kids space to interact and have interaction with their friends (“The Case for High School Activities”). Students who participate in sports also build near friendships with others in the group; those relationships are sensual to intellectual emotional and bodily well-being for the duration of excessive college years. Students tie together a shared love and the time they spend together in exercise and games. In addition, when engaging in excessive college sports, students construct self-confidence and self-esteem. To illustrate, in 2002 Beckett Broh, an assistant sociology professor, published an examination that concluded that taking part in athletics helps college students carry out well academically all through high faculty extra than every other extracurricular interest. Student-athletes gain developmentally in phrases of building self-confidence and vanity and the potential to problem-solve; they increase socially in that they construct relationships with college students and teachers and dads and moms that may act as resources for them in terms of their academics (Thomas). Partaking in athletics exhibits the way to paintings with different human beings and work closer to a common goal. According to Hummel’s findings “Life, like sports activities, is not continually a person competition. Student-athletes paint toward a commonplace goal. They start to recognize how their attendance and performance influence the relaxation of the crew. They also ought to find their region on each crew and comprehend that they cannot continually be the leader, now and again they need to play a more supporting role” (Hummel). In sports, it’s a necessity to collaborate with different crew participants to win. To achieve education, a pupil wishes to work hand in hand with instructors and fellow college students. Employers are inquisitive about hiring employees who can work collectively with different employees to obtain a not-unusual goal. Teamwork competencies are amongst other necessities to secure a good job. In sports, it’s miles a need to collaborate with different team contributors to win. To achieve education, a scholar desires to paint hand in hand with teachers and fellow college students. Employers are interested in hiring employees who can work collectively with different personnel to achieve a common goal. Teamwork skills are amongst other necessities to secure a terrific job. Above all, the social blessings implement one of these significant a part of intellectual health due to athletics in high school. Students who participate in excessive college athletics could have better educational outcomes than students who don’t take part in excessive faculty extracurricular sports. Overall excessive college athletes have better educational effects including higher grades, better achievement take a look at scores, and better educational expectations beyond high school. As a result, North Carolina excessive school students who have been athletes and non-athletes in a GPA 2. ninety-eight for athletes vs. 2.17 for non-athletes and a graduation charge of 99.4% for athletes vs. 93.5% for non-athletes (“The Case for High School Activities”). Teammates and coaches of high college athletes act as proposals to scholar athletes to excel in developing a successful skill in the sport and in the classroom, athletics inspire students to succeed. With this notion to play comes the notion to work difficult which athletes prove because of these statistics. High college athletes below maximum situations excel in academics in comparison to nonpupil athletes. According to Coach Hummel, ”Participating in athletes inside the RIIL needs students-athletes are students first, requiring them to excel in the classroom first and now not handiest be in faculty, however on time […] I do know, that having coached volleyball for this long at Narragansett, each unmarried one of my senior-athletes has graduated on time” (Hummel). Sports assist in improving the cognitive and memory function of the brain. After spending numerous hours in class, a student needs a while to refresh their mind. Sports-active college students are top students in academics. Sports build their ability to concentrate and attention in class. When taking part in athletics, high faculty college students are much less probably to drop out. 96% of dropouts in 14 college districts in seven regions of the nation have been no longer collaborating in an athletic program. Kids who participate are more likely to stay in the faculty and be greater successful. Athletics aids college students in so many factors in their lives whether it’s instructional or something else. Consequently, the educational benefits are clear whilst taking part in high school sports. Sports participation can improve management and social skills for college students’ future lives. Sports assist youngsters in acquiring higher life abilities, those who play competitive sports activities in high faculty have more self-belief, self-respect, and management skills in their destiny careers. The Women’s Sports Foundation has said that female excessive school athletes are 80% less probably to turn out to be pregnant than non-athletes (Youth Sports in America). Students who are concerned with high school athletics generally tend to make more responsible alternatives because they’re taught life abilities, work ethic, and social capabilities all through sports. Sports help children acquire higher life skills, folks who played aggressive sports in high college have extra self-belief, self-respect, and management talents in their future careers. In addition, A survey of people at the level of executive Vice President of seventy-five Fortune 500 companies showed that 95% of them played sports in excessive school. While it might be tough to argue that sports activity participation could guarantee higher incomes, promotions, and higher jobs, the leadership capabilities and improvement of teamwork, hard work, and backbone might help put together students to be leaders at paintings and in their groups later in life. (Youth Sports in America). Playing sports activities offers students an advantage in excessive school and after. These scholar-athletes who participated. Women who played sports activities in high college have a decreased risk of getting pregnant at a younger age than nonpupil athletes, which can enhance their future careers. Also, the Women’s Sports Foundation has stated that woman high faculty athletes are 80% less likely to become pregnant than non-athletes (“High School Athletes Gain Lifetime Benefits”). Students who are worried about high college athletics generally tend to make more responsible selections due to the fact they may be taught life talents, painting ethics, and social capabilities during sports activities. With this in mind, athletics can advantage of humans’s usual careers and destinies. As a result, students’ destinies and careers are even benefiting from excessive college athletics. High school and college students can have a brighter future due to their academics. High-faculty athletes have a tendency to have a better GPA than nonstudent athletes. While a few can also worry that time away from studies will adversely affect scholar GPAs, the common GPA of a high college athlete changed to 2.84, whilst a scholar who doesn’t take part in sports had a mean GPA of 2.68 (“Youth Sports in America.”). Receiving a higher GPA can bring about going to an admirable university and open the gate to a destiny career. Additionally, Women who participated in high school sports activities have a multiplied chance of graduating from university. In fact, an observation post in 2007 on some long-term blessings of sports activities showed that gambling on a high college sports activities team accelerated a young woman’s probability of graduating from college with the aid of 41 percent (‘High School Athletes Gain Lifetime Benefits’). Student-athletes are advocated through their teammates and coaches to succeed. They develop a competitive nature both in the sector and within the classroom. Participating in sports facilitates an increase in a peace ethic whereas most children will go home and be lazy after faculty. Which can and will improve usual fitness. Students who partook in athletics all through high faculty have a danger to excel in the enterprise global. Furthermore, they are better at setting goals and managing their time. Women in particular advantage: one look determined that 82 percent of female executives said they played prepared youth sports activities and 60 percent agreed that sports participation gave them a competitive edge inside the commercial enterprise international (Nguyen). Student-athletes are taught a way to engage with every different and on their own. These talents are essential specifically for the aggressive global that they will no doubt one day take part in. Across the country, many ladies who participate in sports activities have a better danger of living extra successful lives. In brief, pupil athletes’ achievements can gain their destiny careers and lives.

Taking component in excessive faculty athletics can offer physical, social, and academic benefits. Athletics can be such an imperative part of college students’ college experience. Even even though the danger of injury is an issue the advantages really outweigh the risks. Participating in excessive college sports activities can offer amazing physical health with a decreased risk of several diseases inclusive of most cancers, weight problems, and heart disease. It also can offer better social abilities and train the way to expand relationships. Lastly, it can affect academic performance in this type of positive way. To conclude, taking part in high college athletics can lead to the sort of brighter and happier life

Introduction

The Oxford Dictionary defines teenage pregnancy as the pregnancy between girls ages 13 to 19. It is a global problem that has prompted numerous campaigns and public awareness efforts to reduce its prevalence. The number of adolescent pregnancies has been continuously increasing all over the globe. Like many Asian countries, the Philippines is also grappling with the same problem. In research from the Philippine Statistics Authority, The National Demographic and Health Survey (2013) stated that one out of five Filipina girls had already given birth or had their first child at ages 15 to 19. As a result, the Philippine Government shall resolve the said issue in collaboration with other aid agencies.

Teenage pregnancies are frequently linked to concerns of social development, such as the lack of adequate education and poverty. This often leads to single parenting, creating circumstances that cause moms to become negligent. As a result, they will experience a social stigma in many parts of the world.

In a study made by UNESCO (2012) entitled “Sexuality Education in Asia and the Pacific,” sex education is defined as the programs and approaches that include life skills education, family life education, HIV prevention, and adolescent development education. Puberty, teenage health, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and reproductive health are all being addressed in this discussion. It aims to give children and other people adequate knowledge to make conscious and respectful choices regarding their relationships, sexuality, and physical health, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a study conducted by UNESCO in 2018, entitled “Why Comprehensive Sexuality Education is Important?” improving young people’s knowledge and attitudes regarding sexual and reproductive health and behaviors are the benefits of sex education. It does not affect the rates of sexual activity, risk-taking, or the incidence of STIs and HIV infection. The programs that focus on delaying sexual activity are effective. Sex education programs can result in positive outcomes such as delays in the initiation and reduction in the frequency of sexual intercourse and an increase in contraceptive use and other positive sexual behaviors that prevent adverse outcomes (UNESCO, 2012).

According to World Bank data, teenage pregnancy rates tend to be the lowest in European countries such as Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. Their approach to sex education proves pragmatic, as they place less emphasis on sexual risk and focus on teaching sex as a regular, healthy, and positive behavior. The United States, on the other hand, tends to teach oppressive and attentive stories. Many states rely on a temperament-only curriculum that prevents students from learning about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Because of this, the government should note that this is not necessarily a causal link between sex education policy and the birth rate of teens, still, all students should be entitled to a piece of clear and comprehensive information about it.

As stated in the DepEd Order No. 31, S. 2018, the Department of Education has implemented Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in the Philippines at the elementary and junior high school levels. The implementation of CSE is limited to regions 1, 7, and 11, which have the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country (CNN Philippines, 2021). It is a curriculum-based process of changing knowledge and information between an educator and student about many aspects of sexuality, such as cognitive, emotional, and social (UNESCO, 2018).

Young people are still receiving confusing information regarding relationships and sex, which leads to more demand for reliable information that can prepare them for a safe and fulfilling life. The CSE aims to enable the youth to decide objectively about their relationships and sexuality. Having low-quality sex education may cause vulnerability to harmful sexual behaviors among children and youth. (UNESCO,2018)

The increasing pregnancy rate among teens is alarming to the government, and people should pay attention to it. Having Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) in some country regions is not enough. The need for more profound knowledge about sex and its other aspects should be recognized. In this study, the researchers will know the perception of senior high school students in Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital – Educational Institution regarding sex education and its implementation as a subject to the Philippine educational system under the senior high school curriculum.

Statement of the Problem

This research will study the perceptions of the senior high school students of Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital – Educational Institution regarding sex education and its implementation as a subject to the Educational System. Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

What is the importance of sex education to the Philippine educational system?

1. regarding the practice of safe sex;
2. the proper use of contraceptives; and
3. the prevention of HIV and STDs

1. 1. How does the perception of SHS students affect the implementation of sex education as a subject?
   2. How will the implementation of sex education affect teenage pregnancy rates in our country?
   3. What recommendations can be drawn from this study?

Significance of the Study

The outcome of this study may yield important information. It would be a great help to know the perceptions of Senior High School students from Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital – Educational Institution regarding sex education and its implementation as a subject in the Philippine educational system. It may also be beneficial to the following:

For the students, to know the importance of sex education and how it will help prevent teenage pregnancy in our country. The outcome of this study might also encourage and motivate students to be more knowledgeable about sex and to know the importance of Sex Education in this generation.

For the parents, this study will give them knowledge about students’ perception of implementing Sex Education as a subject in our Educational System. This study will also help the parents plan and help them discuss the importance of sex education to their children.

For the government, this study will give them ideas to make possible changes or reforms to the education system of our country regarding the implementation of sex education as a separate subject. Completing this study will serve as a guide for the government to find more solutions to said issues in our country.

For society, this study might be of great help, for it may identify the perceptions of Senior High School students in having sex education as a subject inside their curriculum. Whenever highly commendable research is produced shortly, society will benefit from it.

For future researchers, this study can help future researchers gain perceptions from the results of this study. They could use this as reference material for a more comprehensive investigation.

Scope and Delimitations

The coverage of this study is the perception of senior high school students of Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital – Educational Institution regarding sex education and its implementation as a subject in the Philippine educational system. This study aims to know how the perceptions of senior high school students can affect the performance of sex education in the educational system in the Philippines. The study will include the importance of sex education and its possible positive outcomes if implemented.

The study is limited to the perception of senior high school students about sex education and its implementation in the educational system. The respondents will be limited to all female and male senior high school students of CLDH-EI ages 15-19, as comprehensive sex education has already been implemented for elementary and junior high school students. Responses recorded will be further analyzed to understand the students’ perception and to know the importance of sex education in the Philippines.

Definition of Terms

To present the key concepts and terminologies essential to the study, the terms were defined according to their technical and functional meanings.

Contraceptive. A type of device or drug that prevents someone from getting pregnant. (Collins Dictionary) In this study, it refers to a device that is used during sexual intercourse to avoid teenage pregnancy.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It is an infection that attacks the immune system and weakens our body’s defense against many diseases and some types of cancer. This disease can be passed on from the exchanges of different types of blood fluids from individuals who got infected with this disease, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions. (WHO, 2021) In this study, it refers to an illness that spreads from one person to another due to the lack of sex knowledge and contraceptives.

Perception. It is an idea, belief, or image that you have because of the way you see or understand something; how you perceive things, especially with your senses; and the ability to understand the true nature of something. (Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries) This study refers to the thoughts or opinions of Senior High School students about Sex Education and its implementation as a subject in the Educational System.

Puberty. It is when a child’s body starts to develop and gradually changes its body as an adult. The age for girls in puberty usually begins at the age of 11, while boys usually begin at 12. Girls tend to develop breasts and start to menstruate, while boys grow a deeper voice and facial hair. (NHS) In this study, it refers to teenagers being mature and open about sex.

Sex Education. It is the act of providing information about sex, sexuality, relationships, skills-building, and the physical development of a person. It also helps young people able to communicate about and make the right decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. (Advocates for Youth) It refers to a subject that will help teenagers get more profound knowledge about Sex and prevent teenage pregnancy.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). These are diseases that can be passed through sexual contact with another person like vaginal, oral, and anal sex. There’s also a possibility to spread through other contacts, like heavy petting. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021) This study refers to one of the causes of unsafe sex and one of our country’s most serious health problems.

Teenage pregnancy. A teenage girl who becomes pregnant is typically between the ages of 13-19 or someone who still hasn’t read to adulthood, which varies in other countries. (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth) This study refers to one of the most serious public health problems for teenagers, being parents at a young age because of a lack of profound knowledge about sex.

On average teenagers are missing out on 10 hours of sleep per week due to having to start school early in the morning. This means that they are missing out on vital sleep which can lead to serious consequences such as limiting their ability to listen and concentrate forgetting important things such as names and homework dates, a lack of sleep can also contribute to many skin problems such as acne. It can also cause teenagers to become more aggressive towards friends, family, and teachers. Their diet is also affected, a lack of sleep can cause teenagers to eat unhealthily which leads to weight gain. Obviously, education is still very important and teenagers still need to be taught for around 6 hours a day but I think that starting school at 10 am would improve teenagers’ mental health mental and physical, increase their productivity levels and thus improve their exam performance.

Firstly, a teenager’s body clocks work differently for adults and younger children, as they are unable to fall asleep as early meaning that they go to bed and wake up later, so it would surely make sense to start school at 10 am. Research findings featured in a National Sleep Foundation article show that teenagers have irregular sleep patterns on weekdays because neuroscientists have found that teenagers don’t begin to feel sleepy until about 10:45 pm, with their brains, not fully awake and attentive until between 9 am and 10 am so having them in school and in lessons, before teenagers are completely functional is absurd.

Starting school at any time before 10 am also really affects pupils’ sleep habits because it takes around 54 minutes on average for them to properly wake up, so many teenagers will arrive in school lethargic and unfocused because the average bedtime for UK teenagers is 11.30 pm, which is, assuming that their school starts at 9 am, not enough time to properly rest and wake up in time for school. Not only would starting school at 10 am work better with the teenager’s body clocks it would also help with the teenager’s mental health. Many scientific studies, such as Harvard medical school have shown that lack of sleep has a direct link to many of the leading mental health problems that plague teenagers today. Sleep deprivation affects both your psychological state and your mental health, various studies like neurocore’s have shown that up to 90% of people suffering from depression also suffer from some form of chronic sleep disorder.

One study, in particular from Anxiety Disorders that those with insomnia are four times more likely to develop depression than those who do not suffer from it. Depression causes a lack of concentration, and trouble remembering and retaining information all of these being skills that are used in school every day. A study by Donna Littlewood of the University of Manchester shows that if those suffering from depression have a short sleep duration or poor sleep quality are more to wake up with suicidal thoughts. Lack of sleep also causes students to be more anxious and stressed which not only affects their ability to cope with exams and school work but can also make someone physically unwell, a sickness which means that the student will miss out on important lessons and vital information that they will need to go to in order to get a good grade.

Stress can also lead pupils to stop trying and putting in less effort which will lead them to start failing classes. Lack of sleep can also have a massive impact on exam performance. If you do not get enough sleep you tend to react slowly which might mean pupils are unable to make fast decisions under the pressure and are therefore unable to complete the exam meaning they will get a lower grade. Students are more stressed out if they have less sleep which affects their ability to cope with the pressure of exams meaning they won’t achieve what they are capable of because they are too anxious and they cannot focus on studying for the tests. The fact teenager’s brains aren’t fully alert first thing in the morning means that they are unable to obtain the knowledge that they received in morning classes which can really affect them when in exams as they cannot remember this knowledge or they need to spend more time going over this out of school which takes away from revising other topics as they need to learn these ones again.

She asked to meet in her car at a park she used to go to all the time while she was in high school. It was nearing dark when I went to sit down next to her in the passenger seat of her car. She asked me to remain anonymous and use a fake name while writing this essay; so we decided on the name “Elisa”. Elisa is my age, 18, and has dark eyes and dark hair. I had asked her in advance about the subject I wanted to talk about: what defines you as the person you are today. After casually chatting for a bit, I started the conversation on the subject and she began to explain.

Elisa explained, that as much as she hated high school, she knew it was a necessary experience to shape the person she is today. “Freshman year was the worst year for me,” she told me. “It went very downhill before it went up.” She went on to explain more why freshman year was so bad for her. During that time, she was sexually assaulted multiple times by a junior she went to high school, and she didn’t even realize she was sexually assaulted until years later. “It took me a while to realize it wasn’t fully my fault,” she mentioned. “I would always have flashbacks of those times and it honestly took me a long time for those to fully go away.” In the midst of all of this happening, she picked up self-harming. “I thought making my pain physical to try to replace my mental pain would make me feel less shitty,” Elisa said. During freshman and sophomore years, she coped with her sadness by cutting herself. She told me she remembered when her parents finally found out. It scared her to death, knowing that her parents finally knew what she was doing to herself. After that, she stopped for the most part.

“Now here is the part my parents don’t know and will never know about,” Elisa said to me slightly laughing, but with a painful tone. The junior and senior years were a little bit different. She started to get more anxiety and had been diagnosed with ADD. Instead of self-harming, she was trying to cope in other ways: alcohol and drugs. She knew they weren’t good, but she wanted to do them anyway. Elisa picked up drinking every weekend and spent the money she had to buy weed. Although she didn’t do hard drugs, she got really into psychedelics. “I remember the first time I took LSD,” she said. “It felt like a dream in the moment but the comedown was truly horrible.” She told me that even after that mixed experience, she did it again. “I just wanted to see if anything I did would mess with my brain,” she slowly said. “I was playing a mental roulette with my brain; I was just waiting to get mentally fucked up.”

Senior year was coming to a close and Elisa finally got some help. She started going to therapy and was prescribed the right medication for her ADD. The drinking and drugs started to simmer down. She finally got a job in fast food and started making decent money. “As much as I hated working at a fast food place, it honestly kept me in check,” she laughed. Currently, Elisa is saving up for a car and making plans with a friend to get an apartment soon. She is going to college full-time and mostly focusing on her future now. Based on her life right now, she is happier and more stable. “I know I’ve made mistakes in the past, but I’ve learned from them and grown,” she said with a smile

It’s already dark now when she finally wraps up everything we talk about. As we sit in her car, Elisa says, “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without high school. As much as I despised it, I learned so much. My bad experiences helped me prevent more bad decisions in the future. I’m grateful for all the things that happened to me.” She said this in a reminiscing tone, and I knew she was thinking back on everything she told me. After that, I hugged her and left.

Pregnancy among teenagers has been a global social, economic, and educational problem among developed, growing, and underdeveloped countries. Our country has a limited study about teenage pregnancy and sex education. That’s why we conducted this study to find out what the possible rules, considerations, or policies the public school in San Carlos City can give to these kinds of students to avoid dropping out of school and continue their studies even in their difficult situation.

Some teenagers stop going to school when they find out that they are pregnant. They are more willing to stop hiding their pregnancy and avoid being bullied at school. Teenage pregnant student suffers from bullying in a way their schoolmates have a different reaction to their pregnancy. Parents still encourage their teen children to still continue their studies and support them in all the way they can. As parents they play the important role of being a health educator, they are the role model in influencing the young people with their attitudes and behavior.

One of the problems faced by schools hoping to support pregnant teenagers is the attitude that assistance is tolerating their pregnancies. Morning sickness and regular doctor’s visits for check-ups may cause absences for these students. That’s why some of them are hesitant to continue their studies because of their condition. The school wants these students to be successful, they don’t want to send a message to other students that being pregnant during adolescence is a good option.

Teenage pregnancy compromises the development opportunities of young girl which hinders their formal education resulting in unemployment and being unproductive making them vulnerable to violence, crime, poverty, and social exclusion. With the help of every school, the student may still continue their studies and reach their goals. If the school has these policies and procedures to protect their teenage pregnant student then they would be one of the assets of every student to continue until graduation.

The poor academic performance of teenage mothers has also been one of the reasons why teenage mothers drop out of school. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and its associated factors among school adolescents in public schools in San Carlos City to avoid dropout.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the readiness of public schools to accommodate pregnant to avoid dropouts in San Carlos City.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following:

What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of?

1. Age;
2. Sex;
3. Civil Status;
4. Year Level;
5. Family Income

1. 1. What are the possible rules that can be enforced at school to protect these teenage pregnant students?
   2. What are the considerations schools can give to these teenage pregnant students?

Significance of the Study

This study will be conducted to find out the readiness of public high schools in accommodating teenage pregnant students to avoid dropping out in San Carlos City, Pangasinan. It will also be conducted to know the policies and considerations of every public high school in dealing with their teenage pregnant students.

This study will benefit the following:

• Pregnant Student. It helps students to gain insight into their situation so they can become aware of the policies and considerations of the public high schools once they are accepted as students.
• Guidance Counselor. Research findings and observations will provide them with relevant data that can be used for counseling interventions.
• Administration and Faculty. It provides information to promote a deeper understanding and support of the plans related to student mothers to help them cope with their situation. It can be an eye-opener for them to implement roles and regulations regarding these kinds of students.
• Future Researcher. They will broaden their knowledge of the experiences and challenges facing students’ mothers, increasing their motivation to continue their studies even when they are in very difficult situations.
• Parents. The results of this study will help parents of the respondents learn more about how this public high school will accept teenage pregnant students.

Scope and Limitation

This study focuses on the readiness of the public schools to accommodate teenage pregnant students to avoid dropping out in San Carlos City. This study covers all the Junior and Senior High School Students of San Carlos City S.Y 2018-2019. The respondents of the study were composed of 50 randomly selected Junior and Senior Principal, Guidance Counselors, and Teachers which comprise 25% of the total population. The results of this study are applicable only to the respondents of this study and should not be used as a measure of the effect of the mentoring program on the students who do not belong to the population of this study. The researchers considered working on this study to find out if there’s an effect on the accommodation of teenage pregnant students in the public schools in San Carlos.

The respondents of the study are the Juniors, Seniors, principals, and Guidance counselors of Turac National High School, Bolingit National High School, Tandoc National High School, Speaker Eugenio Perez National Agricultural School, and Cobol National High School.

The number fourteen is a wonderful number for Floridian teenagers all around the state, as it is the bare minimum age at which children can start working legally. Child labor laws had originally been declared unconstitutional in 1918 before Congress had decided to pass the Fair Labor Act in 1938. Although teens can be hired for a job, getting a job may not be the wisest decision. Some might say that school isn’t much of a factor, but the truth is, that having a job greatly affects a teen’s performance in a school environment.

If a teenager decides to get a job, they will likely be paid based on hourly rates, which incentivizes teens to work more hours. However, this can be problematic, as when teens work at their jobs for longer periods, their school work lessens and becomes worse. A study was done by Herbert W. Marsh and Sabina Kleitman that showed a direct correlation between employed high schoolers working longer hours, and performing significantly worse in school. ASCD wrote an article about the study in question. The study was summarized as, “As students work longer hours, they achieve at lower levels academically…” In this same study, it was also found that students in 12th grade that had jobs were, “…less likely to enroll in—or stay in—college.” If a teenager decides to get a job, they need to prioritize their education.

Getting a job isn’t all bad, as many things that you learn at a job can be transferred into a classroom environment. Renae Hintze, author of Pros and Cons: Should My Teen Work During High School?, writes about teens learning how to be responsible through working, and how that learned responsibility can be used at school. Becoming mature and responsible is important and can certainly get you far in life, even outside of school. Jobs can also help teens develop a good work ethic, which can be used in school to stay on top of assignments and homework. The people at workethic.org state in their article Why Young People need to Have Part-Time Jobs, that working is a great way to, “…establish work ethic from a young age,” and that jobs can, “…help teens set up a foundation for future career success.”

While jobs can bring many positives, they can also bring many negatives, such as a great load of stress. Students who acquire jobs in high school will tend to experience far greater levels of stress than those who don’t have jobs. A study done by the American Psychological Association has shown that different kinds of stress can lead to a variety of health issues. Acute stress can be fatal, and incite fatal incidents like heart attacks. Chronic stress can result in issues relating more to the brain, such as depression. Depression is already a common malefactor in teens, and combined with the added stress of a job, these effects can be amplified and arguably worse than acute stress. Renae Hintze, writer on Student Tutor, says in her article about the pros and cons of working in high school, “With so much stress already placed on high schoolers to succeed in their courses and exams, adding 20 hours a week of dealing with difficult customers and juggling responsibilities could tip things over the edge.” Her claim can especially be applied to students in advanced classes, as their classes are far more difficult than normal classes.

Teenagers all around the world, including myself, have sleep issues and find themselves staying up too late, waking up late, having trouble falling asleep, etc. So with these pre-existing problems, adding a 15-20 hour shift at a job weekly to that lack of sleep will only amplify the already unpleasant effects of sleep deprivation. High school students who work have far more on their plates than students who don’t. With homework, after-school activities, spending time with friends and family, and a job on top of everything, sleep can take a back seat to all else and will stop being a priority. The people at the NCBI, or the National Center for Biotechnology Information, wrote an article about teens and sleep. In the article, one thing they mention is that “…teens who do not get enough sleep are more likely to get depression.” This is especially serious for teens who work as much as they can legally because those effects will be amplified tenfold as they will have even less time to do things outside of work.