Early school leaving: lessons from research for policy makers

This report draws on European and international literature to examine the causes and consequences, and possible remedies for, early school leaving (ESL) in Europe. ESL is defined as the percentage of the population aged 18-24 with at most lower secondary education and not in further education or training. In the European Union (EU), 16.9 per cent of boys and 12.7 per cent of girls are early school leavers. Reducing its incidence to 10 per cent by 2020 has been one of the key benchmarks of European education policy cooperation. It is a worldwide phenomenon (rates in the USA are much higher). Chapter one sets out the official EU definition and benchmark of ESL. It discusses its advantages and disadvantages, along with some possible alternatives. Chapter two contains the main discussion of the causes of ESL. It works through an 'all factors framework' and examines the evidence around the main factors associated with ESL, focusing especially on their interactions. These factors are individual; home and family; school related; migrants and ESL; and wider societal factors. Chapter three examines what kinds of problem ESL is and its personal and social consequences. Chapter four sets out some proposed responses to the causal factors identified in chapter two. It distinguishes pre-emptive, preventative and compensatory policy approaches.

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