CULT

The Dropout Dilemma: With formal education being the fuel of proactive citizenship, it is concerning that over 10% of the European youth leave education early. Bearing in mind the notable educational disparities across socio-economic groups as well as the special education needs of diverse learners, what strategies should the EU prioritise in reforming its education…

Committee on Culture and Education

By Madelief van Poelvoorde (NL)

Introduction

Education is often seen as the cornerstone of our current society, but with 10% of European youth leaving education early, concern arises. While this percentage has gone down from 13% in 2012 to 10% in 2022, the EU has not yet reached its goals of lowering it to less than 9% by 2030. Bearing in mind that the consequences of leaving education early include reduced employment opportunities, lower earning potential, social inequality, and decreased productivity, leaving education early comes at a high social cost. Research shows that students from high-income households have a higher chance of finishing their degree on time, with less debt, fewer mental health issues and overall higher grades, which gives them an advantage on the job market. Financial difficulties are one of the main reasons students drop out of their studies. Being forced to have side jobs in order to finance their degree slows down their studying, forcing them to pay higher tuition fees over time. These events result in a vicious cycle of keeping them in debt. With tuition fees rising all across Europe, students from a lower-income household are at an even bigger disadvantage.

Key Terms & Concepts

  • Early school leaving (ESL): ‘Early school leaving’ (ESL) is the technical term describing those who have received only lower secondary school education or less, and who are no longer enrolled in training or education. Lower secondary education, the final stage of compulsory schooling, is generally attended by people aged 11 to 14. Having said that, there are national differences in how Member States define and measure ESL.
  • Principle of subsidiarity: In line with the subsidiarity principle, which ensures that political decisions in the EU are taken at the closest possible level to the citizen, education is a policy issue left to the Member States. Simply put, Brussels cannot legislate over education in Amsterdam, Bucharest or Stockholm. This means that the solutions to ESL will differ across Member States, with the EU taking on a supporting or coordinating function.
  • Special education needs: ‘Special education needs’ is a legal definition that refers to children with learning problems or disabilities. 
  • Earning potential: Earning potential refers to the amount of capital a specific individual can earn in their lifetime.
  • Scholarships: Scholarships are a form of financial aid given to students based on their academic performances or based on the (low) income of their parents. Scholarships aim to make higher education more accessible to high achieving but disadvantaged students.

Key Actors & Stakeholders 

Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture develops and carries out policies of the European Commission on education and training. One of its main priorities is setting up structural  and investment funds to financially support students, therefore aiding in counteracting high drop-out rates. An example of this is the Erasmus+ programme, which financially supports students to make education more accessible.

Member States

It is the Member States’ responsibility to create policies concerning educational standards and tuition fees. With education and vocational training falling under the EU’s supporting competences, the EU cannot pass laws on educational matters and is limited to incentivising, coordinating and complementing the actions of Member States. 

European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (EASNIE)

The EASNIE works to promote inclusive education throughout Europe by providing resources, training and policy guidance to Member States. By doing this, they try to lower the dropout rates for students with (learning) disabilities. An example of their work is the Teacher Professional Learning for inclusion (TPL) project. This project was set up to create a policy framework around inclusive learning for all ages within education and training teachers in order to create inclusive education.

European Students’ Union (ESU)

The ESU represents the interest of students within the educational system by advocating for the advancement of student support services, aiming to include students more in decision-making surrounding their education by providing training and seminars for student representatives on European policy. These seminars make them more familiar with their rights and equip them with the knowledge needed to voice their opinion on academic issues.  

Educational institutions

Because the European Parliament does not have direct legislative authority over individual education institutions, national schools and universities  are mostly free to create their own requirements for the studies they offer. An example of this is an entrance exam or Binding Study Advice (BSA) which is a set amount of classes you have to pass in your first year in order to continue with the course, the amount being  left to the discretion of the educational institution. In some Member States, educational institutions are free to set their own tuition fees. 

Key Conflicts

Within the educational system, there is often a tension between traditional standardised testing and an individual alternative assessment system. More traditional testing approaches focus on a standard set of skills that are evaluated in a set format, which does not take soft skills, performance anxiety and other factors into account that can explain a score that deviates from the true picture. Most of these standardised forms of testing, which are used as entrance exams for educational institutions, have a higher passing rate when students enjoy  a form of study support. There are specific courses or tutorships created to score high on these tests. These courses and tutorships are oftentimes very expensive and therefore inaccessible to lower class students, putting them at a disadvantage to even get into a university or school.

With tuition costs rising, fewer people are able to afford education, leaving students with two options: they either pick up a side job to fund their education or leave education and work in a lower level job due to their lack of finished education. The option of working a job to fund your education results in paying more tuition over time because these students usually graduate late. The second option of quitting their education altogether to work full time leaves them without a degree and fewer job opportunities. If they find a job, their earning potential is lower than when they would have graduated with a degree.

Lastly, there is no single solution to this issue because the causes for ESL differ widely across Member States, even though there is a consensus that students from vulnerable groups and those with special education needs are overly represented among early school leavers. Any policies to reduce ESL rates must take national differences into account. Because there are such great differences between Member States and because of the principle of subsidiarity, a lot of policy is on a national level instead of there being European wide legislation. This is due to the fact that the EU aims to create legislation on the level closest to the citizen. In this case, that would be the national level.

Measures in Place

The Education and Training Monitor

The Education and Training Monitor of the European Commission, which is part of the European Education Area’s strategic framework, conducts an annual analysis of how education is evolving in Member States. They track the progress towards the goal of lowering educational dropout rates to less than 10%, creating an overview of the most current data and existing policies which aid to solve this problem. This monitoring apparatus is important because it underscores the differences in education policies across Member States and emphasises the need for nationally-specific solutions. 

The European Pillar of Social Rights

The European Pillar of Social Rights are principles aimed at creating equal access to education and equal opportunities within the educational system. One of these principles is the right to education, training and learning. The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan connects governments, social partners and other actors in order to shape policy towards these pillars, rendering it possible to enforce these pillars.

Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is an educational programme and fund that was created to financially support students in affording education, with a yearly budget of 26,2 billion Euros. The Erasmus+ programme was set up to support The European Pillar of Social Rights. Educational institutions and other organisations apply to the Erasmus+ fund, and then students apply through this institution in order to receive funding. Erasmus+ is mostly aimed at making studying abroad more accessible. 

Food for Thought

The causes for ESL are as diverse as the students themselves are. Oftentimes children from low-income families are expected to financially contribute to their family, whereas other children rarely face this expectation. This forces them to start working at a younger age, leaving less time for their high-school education, resulting in lower grades, leaving them disadvantaged when applying to competitive education programmes. These competitive programmes give you a step ahead in the job market and increase your earning potential. A high earning potential and good degree are one of the most important factors in breaking the cycle of poverty that is usually found in families from a lower socio-economic background.  How can Member States provide equal opportunities to all learners, no matter their special needs or their parents’ income? Should Member States reconsider their assessment and testing strategies, their scholarship systems and tuition fee burden? What should be the EU’s role in supporting Member States whilst fully respecting the principle of subsidiarity? 

Further Research