Last week the Sun reported that many Lowell High seniors lack sufficient credits to graduate this June. While this is unfortunate, it just illustrates the dilemma faced by the urban school systems. Students who don't show up for class rarely pass their courses, so the graduation rate is low. But if the school disenrolls those who don't show up for class, the drop out rate goes up. Either way, the school is criticized. Those doing the criticism ought to spend a few minutes thinking about why the students aren't showing up for class in the first place. Certainly better instruction can lead to better attendance - that can't be ignored. But there's more to it than that. Many students have competing responsibilities - jobs, child care. Perhaps nontraditional school settings - late afternoon or night classes for example, might better suit some of today's students. But like everything else, such an innovative approach requires more money. Many just find it easier to criticize the schools.