Early School Leaving. Lessons from Research for Policy Makers

This report draws on European and international literature to examine the causes, consequences and possible remedies for Early School Leaving (ESL) in Europe. Individual ESLers are more likely to be unemployed, to be in precarious and low-paid jobs, to draw on welfare and other social programmes throughout their lives, and to encounter difficulties in gaining a place in vocational training. They are much less likely to be “active citizens” and to become involved in lifelong learning. One European estimate puts the additional lifetime income for a student staying at school for an extra year at more than €70.000.