Early dropout

What does „dropping out”mean?Dropping out means leaving a school, college, university or group for practical reasons, necessities, or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves.

What's the problem?Giving up learnig is seldom an easy and quick decision taken by young people. Early dropout is usually the result of a whole process of giving up learning due to personal, social, economic, geographic, educational and family reasons. The reasons why young people stop their education and vocational training early are individual. However, it is possible to establish some recurring factors.

Who is most at risk?It is most probable that those who finish their education

are: people from poor families and neglected background; children from families with economic problems with low

education level; immigrants’ children; representatives of minorities; pupils with special education needs, health problems,

pupils with discipline problems, pupils who do no do very well at school;

pupils from vocational schools;; children from rural areas.

Early dropout in EUEvery sixth young person aged 18 to 24 in EU-27 still leaves school with no more than lower secondary education and participates in no kind of education or training after this point. Young people who leave school with only lower secondary education are at a disadvantage on the labour market in today’s knowledge-based society. Their personal and social development is in danger of being curtailed and they are at risk of a life of poverty and social exclusion. They are also less likely to participate in lifelong learning than other young people who continue their education and training.

Early dropout in EU

Early dropout in EU

In 2013 on average 12% of young people aged between 18 and 24 finished their education on the level lower than junior high and they did not participate in any kind of vocational education. The statistics indicate that in this group thare are more young men than women, immigrants’ children and members of minority groups. Pupils from vocational schools drop out more frequently.The scale of the early school leaving age phenomenon is different in different member states. According to the data from the Eurostat research in 2013 (see chart no 1) in countries such as: Croatia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic or Slovakia the percentage of pupils who leave schools early is not high and oscillates at 4-5%. In other countries the scale of this problem is really serious. In Portugal and Malta the percentage is at 20 % and in Spain even 26%. The highest level of ELET is observed in Turkey –over 37%.

How does EU monitor early shool leaving age?

Most countries monitor the phenomenon of early school leaving age making use of the data gathered by Eurostat Labour Force Survey and pupils’database. Only some countries carry out specially designed and regularly carried out research concerning pupils who give up their educztion. Such analysis are carried out in France, Malta, Slovenia or in Great Britain.

How does EU solve the problem?Controlling the phenomenon of early school leaving age has become one of the most important aims of European Union. Europe Strategy 2020 issues by the European Committee assumes that the percentage of pupils in the EU who leave school early will fall to 10 % by 2010.At the same time the recommendation of the European Council in 2011 obliged the member state to create national strategies which will limit erly school leaving. In Poland is is planned to reduce the level in 2020 at 4,5%.

How does EU solve the problem?Many countries give priority to increasing the quality of vocational training and making it more attractive. At present most European countries including Poland introduce system changes in scope of vocational education:

Individual approach to the pupils (advising, mentoring individual education, case management);

Making education more attractive and flexible; Adapting vocational schools offer to the situation on the

labour market; Introducing shorter courses for adults.

What has been done so far?In spite of the European Council recommendation only 1/3 of the EU members prepared complex strategies to limit ELET: Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Malta, the Netherlands, and Austria. Two other states: Hungary and Romania at present undergo a process of preparing and introducing such complex strategies on the country level.In most other countries of the EU different countries and programmes are being introduced . Although they are not strictly oriented to reduce early school leaving they will in result in increasing the number of young people who continue their education.

Early dropout in PolandIt is generally assumed that school dropout is not much of a problem in Poland. According to Eurostat, the rate of early school leaving is only 5,5%, which means that only a small proportion of young people aged 18-24 have not obtained an upper secondary qualification. Rapid and wide expansion of education at the secondary and tertiary levels suggest that the quality of Polish education is high and so too is its effectiveness.

Early dropout in PolandTypes of school dropout in Poland:

Natural school dropouts: those who fall victim to natural causes such as death, accidents, suicide, etc

Apparent school dropouts: students who move to another city, country or type of school

Actual school dropouts: students who enter the system and not finish the school

Potential school dropouts: pupils who are in the system, but are more or less likely to exit school before planned time.

How is the problem solved in Poland?

Prevention of school dropout is not a priority for polish goverment, but there are some institutional mechanisms to assist students at risk: job-training schools, Youth Work Services state education centers

How is the problem solved in Poland?The main ones are special job-training schools, which are school-based preparatory units for the least skilleds students, who are not able to meet scecondary school expectations, but are trained in simple-skilled occupations and are able to enter the labour market.

How is the problem solved in Poland?Youth Work Services is a state organisational unit of the public finances sector and is supervised by Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy. It cooperates with units of territorial self-goverment in educating, training and employing young peple. These tasks are performer by 16 regional offices, 10 interregional centres of educations and approximately 400 organisational units all over the country. YWS concentrates in particular on education and rehabilitation, as well as providing help to youth at risk of unemployment, socially maladjusted and requiring special care and influence.

How is the problem solved in Poland?State education centers – their main task is to provide

psychological and pedagogical counselling services and supporting young people who dont’t get well at school.

THE ENDThank you for attention,

Magdalena Kamińska