What exactly is that, Early School Leaving? When are you an early school leaver? What are the risk groups and what is the government doing to tackle this problem? Read all about it in this article.
Definition: when are you an early school leaver?
In the Netherlands you are seen as a school dropout if you do not have a basic qualification. A basic qualification means a diploma at at least HAVO, VWO or MBO 2 level. This is seen as a minimal development that a young person must have in order to function in the labor market.
Risk groups
There are a number of factors that contribute to the fact that some young people are more likely to drop out of school. Yet these factors do not say everything, it may just as well be that someone who recognizes himself in one of the factors obtains a basic qualification.
Early school leaving is more common in men than in women. Yet this difference has not been that great in recent years. Usually it saves between five and ten percent. Early school leaving is also more common among young people who are no longer of compulsory school age. These are the young people between 17 and 22 years old. A smaller group is 16 years old and an even smaller group is even younger.
Immigrant youths appear to drop out of schools prematurely than native Dutch youths. The largest group of young people has a Moroccan descent, followed by Surinamese and Antillean young people. Often it has to do with a lower socio-economic environment and a lower educational level of the parents.
Young people who already have a child are more likely to drop out of school than their peers who do not have children. Young people who leave school prematurely come from one-parent families more often than young people who have a basic qualification.
Where do most early school leavers come from?
In secondary education it is mainly the VMBO students who drop out more often. No less than 31% of all school-leavers come from pre-vocational secondary education. School-leavers are also in the HAVO and VWO learning paths, but a lot less, about 2%.
Within MBO the number of early school leavers is highest at 38%. The lower the level, the more chance there is of dropping out of school. This has to do with the fact that if you cannot handle the level you can no longer graduate. You can still transfer from HAVO or VWO to VMBO, which is not seen as dropping out of school.
Consequences of young people leaving schools prematurely
There are three major consequences, these are: poorer job prospects, increased risk of crime and increased risk of social problems. As the level of education increases, you also have a greater chance of finding work. For someone who does not have a basic qualification, this chance is much smaller than for someone who does have a basic qualification.
Prevention of early school leaving
The government has taken three major preventive measures to reduce early school leaving.
Prevention through compulsory education enforcement
If a pupil has not had lessons according to the law for the (1040) hours per year, for example by missing lessons for no reason, he will have to deal with the attendance officer. The latter can impose fines on the parents, but he can also impose a halt punishment on the youngster. This means that he will then receive a training order or community service of up to 20 hours.
Schools nowadays have a duty to report. When a student skips school, they must report this. They must also report when a young person leaves school without a basic qualification. Due to this notification obligation, action can be taken. Many young people are encouraged to start or finish a study and there are many young people who can still obtain their basic qualification.
A final preventive measure is to tackle at-risk youth in the big cities. This is done through the guidance of these young people. By encouraging them to learn but also to guide them with their schoolwork and study choice, the government wants to reduce the number of early school leavers.