The television recently blared that one in five students in California quit school. That is about the same as we are experiencing in North Carolina.

Enough is enough.

The teachers' union establishes a fair day's work. Then they demand to be paid for their time. Enough time results in tenure. There is no incentive, motivation, or responsibility. When they receive an increase in pay, they rationalize, as all other employees do, that they were due this money and should have received it a long time ago.

Money does not motivate people. The only motivator is responsibility.

A student should be required to have a high school diploma to earn a driver's license, own a car, own a house, vote, get a library card or receive any government entitlement (unemployment or medical benefits). The county and state governments must accept their responsibility for school dropouts and pass laws demanding that a person have a high school diploma.

Citizens should have to prove they are able to read and comprehend the laws governing the operation of a motor vehicle, to maintain a vehicle mechanically, and do the maintenance required to maintain a house in a condition acceptable to the community. Responsibility is the only motivator.

Students and dropouts should be issued ID cards. The cards would be green for "A" students, yellow for passing students, red for failing students. You would have to have a green or yellow card to be admitted to any sporting event or any group meeting of the student body.

The teacher would be tested annually or as required to determine if he/she actually meets North Carolina teaching requirements, regardless of diplomas and other creditability.

The school would also have to determine if the teacher is keeping abreast on new methods and technology in the chosen field of endeavor.

The student should be tested at the end of each grading period. The teacher would receive five points if the student has an A, zero points for an F, one for a D, two for a C, and three for a B. Teachers with 40 A students would receive 200 points. Should a student quit school, 10 points would be deducted from that teacher for every class taught by that teacher in which the student participated.

The teacher's pay would be based on points earned. The points earned would determine when a teacher had tenure. Every year there would be a minimum point limit that must be achieved to remain employed. Teachers below the point limit would be automatically terminated.

The principal of the school would have the responsibility of maintaining and enforcing the point system. Student testing would be done by a teacher preferably from another school in the system.

The parent would receive an education voucher from the government. The parent would use the voucher to choose any school in which to enroll the student. The parent would agree to allow the teacher and/or the principal to discipline the student with total immunity from litigation. The parent would be informed immediately if parental action is required.

Should the student quit school, The student and/or the parent would be responsible for all vouchers received. The amount of the vouchers would be repaid to the school system.

Students quitting school become a financial burden on the society. The student is destined never to have an enjoyable and satisfying life. The situation is not acceptable.

In the past election, the politicians screamed for more money for teachers. We have given them money and enormous facilities that strain the budgets of citizens to pay property taxes all over the country. It doesn't work.

We must motivate the students, parents, and teachers with responsibility.

R. B. Kiehl lives in Pinehurst. He can be contacted by e-mail at rkiehl@nc.rr. com.