Article

A New Purpose in GED Education: Towards the Empowerment and Civic Engagement of “Push Out” Youth

---

Abstract

This article examines two different purposes of education as experienced by marginalized students of color who have been pushed-out of high school before graduating. On the one hand, the article offers an insightful understanding of young peoples’ perception of school’s efforts to rid them from educational institutions. Paradoxically, the article also demonstrates that GED education offers youth a positive educational alternative despite GED education’s negative stigma. Based on data collected through interviews and observations, I found that when GED programs teach beyond the purpose of preparing for the GED test, they create multiple “opportunity structures” and help empower youth in becoming civically, socially, and politically engaged. The article points to GED education as an opportunity which highlights the role of civic engagement in education, namely that it provides a more comprehensive outcome than traditional school for youth of color who are often marginalized and pushed out.

Keywords: social justice education, Civic engagement education, "Push out" youth, GED Education

How to Cite:

Macias, E., (2021) “A New Purpose in GED Education: Towards the Empowerment and Civic Engagement of “Push Out” Youth”, Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis 10(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/jctp.11544