School dropout is not a sudden phenomenon, like a bridge collapsing—it’s an evolution. The mindset, influenced by thoughts, follows a path that gradually crystallizes a certain representation linked to experience. It can also be tied to external circumstances, such as the environment or peer influence. Many statistics point to disadvantaged backgrounds, but not exclusively, as the rise of specialized cram schools doesn’t target this audience. The question here isn’t to survey all potential starting points but rather to address this topic through a narrow lens.

And this narrow lens can be opened by any child, but it will inevitably be opened by Gifted children.

This narrow lens, in the eyes of a child, is the representation they form of school through the personality of a teacher, a principal, the supervisors, interactions, boredom, a system of punishment with deducted points, detentions, homework, assessments that don’t reflect real performance, and the issue of injustice creeping into everything. There’s also the relationship to authority with the all-powerful teachers who refuse to listen, don’t have time to fairly assess situations, etc.

The system, representing individuals who are supposed to know, but are imaginatively invested by the child with many other qualities, like wisdom, understanding, and listening. This is where the child’s representation clashes with reality, leading to the beginning of disillusionment—a disillusionment that might be the seed of something more.

For the Gifted child who questions everything, often stumbling over incoherencies or illogical aspects, they become aware of a system that appears blind, fails to understand, seems powerless, and continues without changing. The perception of it becomes even clearer, and the effects may manifest more quickly.

This narrow lens is also about respect and trust in a system they are forced to participate in.

To summarize, how many passionate and engaging teachers, whom you fondly remember attending their classes, did you have before high school graduation?

Okay, maybe you forgot most of the course content, but that’s secondary!

Numerous longitudinal studies on the impact of a teacher’s personality and their feedback on students show significant effects on success. In the context of dropout, beyond grades, success is primarily about sparking interest and fostering the desire to retain information—some of the fundamental bases of learning.

For other children who are bullied, mistreated, or harassed, this narrow lens will have a far more traumatic dimension. Yes, the word is out, but can anyone reading these lines claim not to harbor any emotionally charged or traumatic memories of school? I doubt it. This isn’t about pointing fingers or wallowing in complaints but acknowledging potential triggering elements.

It’s not only Gifted children who see and understand how the school system works, between uninspiring lessons and flawed assessments.

However, the way Gifted children’s knowledge is evaluated presents additional challenges, which I’ve discussed in another article. Moreover, their deeper analysis of the system can lead to a damaging conclusion for their drive. Other children generally adapt and "go along with it," while for Gifted children, the system’s absurdity and its expectations become impossible to ignore. Whether they verbalize it or not, the conclusion is inescapable—even through to university: “What’s the point, and why should I submit to this?”

Are Gifted children so different in their experience of school? Are they more curious, more eager to learn? More rebellious towards authority?

Statistically, since they represent only about 2% of the population, we can’t draw any broad conclusions. Some researchers even criticize the shortcuts taken with data supposedly showing higher failure rates among the gifted. I’ll let you dig deeper into that.

Gifted children are capable of great adaptability to their environment, but they must derive some benefit from it to continue bearing what, for them, is unbearable. When the benefit is absent, the tipping point is reached, and it becomes painful for them to keep forcing themselves. And it’s usually the family that suffers the consequences, along with the child, for whom it can be particularly exhausting. Submission isn’t a good strategy as it breeds underlying emotions and backlash for those who employ it.

In a school setting, if the relationship with the teacher holds no value, the pace of the class is too slow, repetition is unbearable, new learning is rare, and they struggle to fit in socially, they no longer perceive any benefit. The question arises: “Why should I go to school if I’m not learning and not having fun?”

Any adult response along the lines of "because you have to," "that’s how it is," or "school is mandatory, sweetie," "you think we always get to do what we want in life?" will not be accepted, and it certainly won’t sustain any motivation. The first brick of questioning the school system is laid.

From there, the child builds on this foundation, but without confiding in adults who can’t provide a logical, coherent answer. The absurdity of their responses stifles anxiety when adults show no understanding of the problem and cling to principles and obligations that defy common sense.

Hence the importance of fostering social connections, as they often sustain motivation. And later on, we hope it won’t be the desire to skip class with friends but rather the desire to attend, not necessarily to learn, as like other children, disillusionment has set in. Homework is done just to get it over with, lessons are learned only for the next test, and long-term goals are rarely formed.

Motivation, to be nurtured, must be cultivated outside the school environment. And that’s a challenge, as this system, by its very nature, stifles motivation every day.

In such a context, why would they develop effective work methods to promote memory retention? Worse, considering recent generational archetypes, how do you expect them to eagerly do homework after school? Twenty years ago, the gap between school learning and its real-world applications up to high school was already significant. Today, that gap is enormous—it’s no longer a gap, but a chasm.

To address this, we need the conceptual tools to help them shift their approach.

And here, we mustn’t confuse changing approach with changing perspective. That would be a difficult endeavor, especially since socially, criticizing school is considered taboo by many parents. They fear it may cause problems for their child or pave the way for potential rebellion—something a Gifted child certainly doesn’t need help with from their parents.

Teachers often warn parents as soon as problems arise. The response is always the same: "You have to support the teachers and the school. You have to be aligned; it’s for the child’s well-being."

One of the solutions lies in the approach, in reigniting motivation and fostering responsibility. The earlier, the better.