Comparative Perspectives on Early School Leaving in the European Union (Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education)

Early School Leaving in the European Union provides an analysis of early school leaving (ESL) in nine European Union countries, with a particular focus on young people who were previously enrolled in educational institutions inside and outside mainstream secondary education. The comparative approach employed by this volume adds to the existing body of knowledge on ESL and develops an understanding of how young people navigate through different educational systems. Contributors acknowledge the importance of reconstructing educational trajectories from the perspective of the individuals involved and, as a result, the book includes data collected during in-depth interviews, surveys, and insights from educational professionals, policymakers and representatives from civil society organisations. Adopting a classic tripartite approach, which acknowledges the complex nature of ESL, the book addresses individual, institutional and systemic factors. It identifies and analyses the prevention, intervention and compensation measures that can succeed in supporting young people's attainment, and demonstrates how these can be used to reduce ESL. This unique book will be highly relevant for academics, researchers and postgraduate students, as well as educational practitioners. Drawing on the insights provided by the authors, the book formulates policy recommendations that should also be of interest for policymakers in European countries and beyond. This book is divided into 4 parts. Part I, State of the Art and Impact of Early School Leaving across European Countries contains the following chapters: (1) Disengaged Students: Insights from the RESL.eu International Survey (Alessio D'Angelo and Neil Kaye); (2) Pathways to Early School Leaving in Hungary: Ethnicised Inequalities in Education and the Case of Roma Youth (Ágnes Kende & Júlia Szalai); (3) Shaping the Policies towards Early School Leaving (ESL) in Portugal, Sweden and Poland (Helena C. Araújo, Eunice Macedo, Alireza Bethoui, Hanna Tomaszewska-Pekala, Paulina Marchlik, Anna Wrona & Cristina Rocha); and (4) The Individual and Economic Costs of Early School Leaving (Marie Gitschthaler & Erna Nairz-Wirth). Part II: Youngsters' Perspectives on Early School Leaving and Schooling, contains the following chapters: (1) A Narrative Approach Exploring Youngsters' Experiences of Schooling and Leaving School Early in Flanders (Belgium): The Stories of Simon and Karim (Rut Van Caudenberg, Noel Clycq & Christiane Timmerman); (2) Struggling against the Waves or Taking another Course: School Disengagement in the Educational Trajectories of Early School Leavers from Warsaw (Paulina Marchlik, Anna Wrona, Hanna Tomaszewska-Pekala); (3) The Social Relations and Educational Expectations of Young People in Marginalised Areas: Evidence from Sweden (Alireza Behtoui, Marie Björklöf and Isabella Strömberg); and (4) What's School Got to Do with It? Comparing Educational Aspirations of Dutch and English 'White' Girls from Lower Socioeconomic Backgrounds (Talitha Stam and Maurice Crul). Part III: Educational Trajectories of Youth (at Risk of) Leaving School Early, contains the following chapters: (1) Switching practices in Vocational Education: A Comparative Case Study in Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands (Lore Van Praag, Elif Keskiner, Rut Van Caudenberg, Ward Nouwen, Talitha Stam, Noel Clycq, Mariana Orozco, Christiane Timmerman, Maurice Crul); (2) Educational Trajectories of Early School Leavers in Portugal: Processes and Conditions of (In) Equality (Sofia A. Santos, Eunice Macedo and Helena C. Araújo); and (3) Neglected Aspirations. Academic Trajectories and the Risk of ESL among Immigrant and Roma Youth in Spain (Silvia Carrasco, Laia Narciso and Marta Bertran). Part IV: Strategies to Deal with Early School Leaving, contains the following chapters: (1) No bridges to Re-Engagement? Exploring Compensatory Measures for Early School Leavers in Catalonia (Spain) from a Qualitative Approach (Silvia Carrasco, Isidoro Ruiz-Haro & Bálint-Ábel Bereményi); (2) Alternative Learning Arenas in Portugal: Hope for Young Adults? (Eunice Macedo, Sofia Almeida Santos & Alexandra Oliveira Doroftei); and (3) The Opportunities and Challenges of Apprenticeships in England: Alternative Learning Arenas or Sites of Exploitation? (Louise Ryan & Magdolna Lorinc). A conclusion was authored by Elif Keskiner and Maurice Crul Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of figures 9 List of tables 10 Acknowledgements 11 List of contributors 12 Introduction: theoretical and conceptual framework of the RESL.eu project 18 Part I State of the art and impact of early school leaving across European countries 32 1 Disengaged students: insights from the RESL.eu international survey 34 2 Pathways to early school leaving in Hungary: ethnicised inequalities in education and the case of Roma youth 50 3 Shaping the policies towards early school leaving in Portugal, Sweden and Poland 64 4 The individual and economic costs of early school leaving 78 Part II Youngsters’ perspectives on early school leaving and schooling 92 5 A narrative approach exploring youngsters’ experiences of schooling and leaving school early in Flanders (Belgium): the stories of Simon and Karim 94 6 Struggling against the waves or taking another course: school disengagement in the educational trajectories of early school leavers from Warsaw 107 7 The social relations and educational expectations of young people in marginalised areas: evidence from Sweden 119 8 What’s school got to do with it? Comparing educational aspirations of Dutch and English ethnic white girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds 134 Part III Educational trajectories of youth (at risk of) leaving school early 150 9 Switching practices in vocational education: a comparative case study in Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands 152 10 Educational trajectories of early school leavers in Portugal: processes and conditions of (in)equality 166 11 Neglected aspirations: academic trajectories and the risk of early school leaving amongst immigrant and Roma youth in Spain 181 Part IV Strategies to deal with early school leaving 200 12 No bridges to re-engagement? Exploring compensatory measures for early school leavers in Catalonia (Spain) from a qualitative approach 202 13 Alternative learning arenas in Portugal: hope for young adults? 216 14 The opportunities and challenges of apprenticeships in England: alternative learning arenas or sites of exploitation? 232 Conclusion: lessons learned from the RESL.eu project: main findings and policy advice 247 Index 263