Research and public attention into boys’ education has increased in recent times among an emerging concern about the performance and retention of boys in schools. This concern, in many ways, constitutes a “moral panic” (Foster, Kimmel & Skelton, 2001, p.1) sometimes producing generalised and alarming statements such as ‘all boys are underachieving in school’ and are therefore becoming the “new disadvantaged” (Foster, et, al., 2001, p.7). Alongside these populist concerns about boys in schools generally, is an emerging body of contemporary academic studies into early school leaving, (Trent & Slade, 2001; Smyth, Hattam, Cannon, Edwards, Wilson & Wurst,. 2000; Smyth & Hattam, 2004) boys’ experiences of schooling, (Martino & Pallotta-Chiarolli, 2003), as well as some broader statistical evidence indicating a general decline in school retention rates in Australia since the early 1990s (Lamb, 1998). Performance in schools generally, and declining retention rates specifically, has been described as an “unacknowledged national crisis” (Smyth & Hattam, 2002, p.375). This study investigates boys’ education generally and early school leaving specifically, by focusing on boys who leave school before completing year 10. The study explores the stories, meanings and constructed experiences of a small sample (5) of young boys aged 14 – 16 years, who have left secondary school just prior to being interviewed. This is a qualitative critical ethnographic (L. Harvey, 1990) study located within a constructivist epistemology (Crotty, 1998). It aims to investigate early school leaving through narrative (Cortazzi, 1993; Way, 1997) and ethnographic inspired analysis (Robson, 2002) of transcribed interview data. Such analyses are referenced against a macro socio-political, economic, and cultural context characterised by changing global socio-economic and political circumstances, especially in regard to how these impact on schools and future possibilities for young people (Spierings, 2002). It seeks further understanding by drawing from a framework of concepts that invoke discussion of school culture, identity practices and how these are inferred (Smyth & Hattam, 2004), produced, understood and enacted within schools and social contexts. This study reveals that schools (as cultural and institutional practices) co-construct the often painful, lengthy and contradictory processes and experiences of early school leaving. Early school leaving therefore needs to be seen as an institutional and not merely personal or individual phenomenon. Appreciating the way schools assist in the process of early school leaving is important to understand, as it is within this domain that alternative educational practices can be located, constructed and enacted. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the current public policy debates on boys in schools, and as such be seen as an important contribution to public discourses and policy processes that help shape responses to boys in schools in general, and early school leaving in particular.

This paper deals with the key issues of early school leaving and youth unemployment in Europe and takes a look at the causes and consequences of these problems. A summary of relevant early school leaving statistics and research studies which describe the situation in Austria is presented. Measures and initiatives to reduce early school leaving that have been implemented in Austria since the Lisbon 2000 Strategy are discussed along with the questions of whether, and if so which, EU policy documents have influenced Austrian measures to tackle early school leaving. The conclusion critically sums up the following relevant results: although many of the policies recommended by the EU have been implemented in Austria, many preventive measures are also still outstanding. These include, for example, the continued lack of (tertiary level) training for kindergarten teachers and the failure to introduce comprehensive schools. The call for the latter was not met by Austrias' introduction of so-called new middle schools, a workaround which has not led to a reduction in social inequalities in educational pathways. The supra-company apprenticeship training concept is a positive development, since it reaches some of the countrys' early school leavers. (authors' abstract)

Early school leaving continues to be an issue that garners much attention from administrators, educators, and academics. In this study I review the existing literature on risk factors relating to early school leaving while examining the role of social context on educational aspirations and expectations. Research findings (Alberta Learning, 2001; Ferguson, Tilleczek, Boydell, & Rummens, 2005; Satchwell, 2004) show that early school leaving is a long process of disengagement that arises from multiple factors associated with experiences both inside and outside of school. In this study I carry out a qualitative analysis of both school and non-school related risk factors deemed to be significant to the early leaving of four young Portuguese-Canadian men. Their stories attest to the complexity of the phenomenon as they affirm the impact of both school and non-school related factors on early school leaving such as irrelevant curriculum, learning community, socio-economic status, and social context. In recounting their stories, and analyzing them through Bourdieu and Passeron’s (1979) understanding of “cultural capital” and “habitus,” I provide insights in this study into how administrators, educators and policymakers, alike may make learning more meaningful and authentic in order to curb early school leaving. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2010-05-29 09:54:48.856

International evidence indicates that school systems need to change in order to tackle early school leaving and improve social inclusion in education and society. Policy-makers and school actors require practical tools to assist them in this process, made all the more urgent by the EU2020 headline target to reduce early school leaving. This report develops such practical tools; it is designed to inform strategic policy and practice by offering an innovative framework of structural indicators for early school leaving prevention and inclusion in school. It draws upon key European Council and Commission policy documents on early school leaving prevention, and also on the Paris Declaration 2015 on promoting common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education, which includes a focus on social marginalization.

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The main topic of this dissertation is the phenomenon of premature exits from high-school studies which more often end by the really finish of studies. The problem is bigger that it seems to be and it is not only the problem just for education but it is the problem for the whole society with connetions to the economic, psychology, sociology and other areas. The term of this disseration is not only to determine the premature exits from high schools, their reasons and connections but to determine the pupil's personality from the evolutionary psychology view. The parts of this dissertation are also my own experiences and special arrangements to stop the premature exits from abroad. In the theoretical part I take the extract not only from the professional literature but my other sources are professional magazines, the National Education Institute and the Education Law. The practical part is based on the empirical research which is divided into few parts. It uses the quantitative research made by the data from the school register, and it is added of questionnaire for pedagogues, headmasters and new coming students. From the research we know that the premature exits mostly apply to the apprentices. It depends mostly on the disinterest in the course of study. In this part I connected the research with the...

Nedanstående systematiska litteraturstudie är en studie av forskning rörande hemmasittarproblematik i grundskolans senare skolår. Syftet för studien är att genom en systematisk litteraturstudie undersöka vilka arbetssätt och förhållningssätt som aktuell forskning lyfter fram som framgångsfaktorer för att bryta hemmasittarproblematik och främja närvaro och motivation hos elever i grundskolans senare år i riskzon för permanentad frånvaro och utebliven gymnasiebehörighet. Därtill är syftet att via en syntes av litteraturstudien visa på en möjlig arbetsgång för arbetet, inspirerad av relationell pedagogik och KASAM, med tonvikt på språklig tillgänglighet, samt att klargöra vilken roll specialläraren med inriktning språk-, läs och skrivutveckling kan ha i detta arbete, utifrån frågeställningen: Hur beskriver aktuell forskning beprövade tillvägagångssätt och framgångsfaktorer i arbetet med att bryta och/eller förebygga hemmasittarproblematik i grundskolans senare år? Hur förhåller sig dessa forskningsrön till KASAM? Hur kan en syntes av dessa rön och KASAM användas för att bidra till en helhetsförståelse av studerad problembild? Hur kan en sådan syntes sammanfattas i en möjlig arbetsgång? Hur kan speciallärare med inriktning språk-, skriv- och läsutveckling med utgångspunkt i dessa arbetssätt och framgångsfaktorer arbeta med motiverande, aktiverande och delaktighetsskapande insatser för att bryta och/eller förebygga hemmasittarproblematik, i en språkligt tillgänglig lärmiljö, där eleven uppmuntras att aktivt delta i samtalet kring sin utbildning? I analysen av 9 studier framkom sju olika teman i arbetet med vald elevgrupp. Dessa teman har analyserats utifrån en relationell ansats och infogats i en analysram, i form av KASAM, en teori kring hur tre kritiska faktorer, begriplighet, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet, samverkar för att betinga individers resurser för att hantera svårigheter och utmaningar. Studiens mål är en analys av hur anpassningsarbete och stödinsatser kan arrangeras för att skapa optimala förutsättningar för skol-återgång och fungerande skolgång för studerad elevgrupp. Framkomna teman i analysen är: tidig kart-läggning, snabba insatser och samarbete med elevhälsan, fysisk lärmiljö, skolan som social mötesplats, språklig tillgänglighet och språklig inkludering, studie- och yrkesvägledarens roll, delaktighet, inflytande och individualisering, schemaläggning. I analysen påvisades en tydlig samverkan mellan olika teman i höjandet av KASAM, på ett sätt som tydliggör vikten av djupgående kunskaper om elevens helhetssituation och behov i skolmiljön, vikten av samarbete med elevhälsan och studie- och yrkesvägledare, vikten av arbetet med språklig tillgänglighet samt vikten av delaktighetsskapande samarbete med elev och vårdnads-havare. Tre teman löpte genom samtliga KASAM- faktorer, och framstod genomgående som centrala för höjandet av KASAM: tidig kartläggning, snabba insatser, samarbete med elevhälsan, delaktighet, inflytande och individualisering samt språklig tillgänglighet och språklig inkludering. Dessa teman, konstaterades det, kan ses som grundläggande vid arbetet med samordnade insatser för studerad elevgrupp. / Focus of current systematic review is on research regarding students with ESL (Early School Leaving) related problems in later years of elementary school. The aim is to, through a systematic review, examine research based working methods to counteract ESL and promote attendance and motivation in later years of elementary school, targeting permanent absence and risk of not achieving secondary competence. A further aim is to, through a synthesis of the results of the systematic review, propose a possible working procedure for this process, inspired by relational pedagogy and KASAM, emphasizing linguistic availability, describing the role of a remedial teacher with the specialized working field linguistic-, reading- and writing development in the process. How are proven methods and success factors in the halting/prevention of ESL in later years of elementary school described in research studied? How are these findings related to KASAM? How can a synthesis of research-based methods and success factors and KASAM contribute to an overall understanding of the problem studied? How can such a synthesis be summarized into a working procedure? How can a remedial teacher, with specialized working field linguistic-, reading- and writing development, work to motivate and activate students, increasing their involvement, identifying measures to halt or/and prevent protracted problematic absence in later years of elementary school, all in a linguistically available learning environment, encouraging the student to participate actively in a dialogue concerning her/his education? In the analysis of 9 studied works of research 7 themes were extracted. The themes were analyzed and merged into a theoretical frame, KASAM, a theory based on three critical factors: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, interacting in the creation of individual ability to cope with problems and challenges. The aim is an analysis of how the process of creating school adjustments and supportive structures could be outlined to create best possible conditions for return to and consistent attendance at school for the group of students studied. The themes presented are Early investigation of the students ́ needs, early support and cooperation with the student health group, Physical learning environment, Social interactions at school, Linguistic availability and linguistic participation, The role of the careers officer, Participation, influence and individualization, and Timetabling. The analysis concludes an intricate synergy between the themes, in theory raising the level of KASAM, highlighting the importance of thorough knowledge of the students ́ situation and needs, the significance of cooperation with the students ́ health group, the benefits of cooperation with a careers officer, and the importance of linguistic availability and close collaboration with student and legal guardian. Three themes emerged as especially important for all KASAM factors: Early investigation of the students ́ needs, early support and cooperation with the student health group, Linguistic availability and linguistic participation and Participation, influence and individualization. These themes are identified as crucial for support of the group of students studied.

This thesis deals with the topics of value orientation, value of education and reasons for early-quits schools both generally and particularly focused on SOŠ and SOU Písek. The theoretical part defines basic terms such as value, and value orientation of adolescents and determinants which influence the youth´s values. Furthermore, the thesis describes the system of higher secondary education in the Czech Republic and selected EU countries. It introduces the strategy of education policy to year 2020 and depicts the present situation at SOŠ and SOU Písek. The matter of concentration is occurrence of early-quits schools in the Czech Republic in comparison with selected EU countries. Moreover, the thesis presents findings of some Czech as well as international researches. The practical part goes into the empiric research which is focused on values of education and practical reasons of early-quits school at SOŠ and SOU Písek. The research particularly investigates the fact whether these students find education important and what the practical reasons of early-quits are at this school.