Is There Anything Specific about Early School Leaving in Southeast Europe? A Review of Research and Policy

Abstract

Studies on early school leaving (ESL) from countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia have been missing from the international early school leaving research map. As a contribution to remedying this, the article reviews research papers and strategic documents from these countries, guided by the general question whether there is anything specific about ESL in this region in comparison to the wider European research and policy context. The aspects of ESL examined include definitional similarities and differences, extent of ESL, dominant theoretical and methodological approaches, factors identified as impacting ESL as well as policy solutions. We find that Croatia and Slovenia are among the countries which have the lowest ESL rates in Europe. The findings of the reviewed research studies correspond to international research papers in terms of the following frequent risk factors for ESL: low economic and cultural family background, ethnic minority and migration status, type of school enrolled and motivation and academic achievement. There is a strong focus on Roma children early school leavers in all of the countries examined and Bosnia and Herzegovina stands out in the broader European context with the finding that girls from large, low socio‐economic status families, who live more than three kilometres away from school, are at particular risk of ESL. In discussing ESL, the reviewed studies tend to emphasise individual and family characteristics rather than also broader social constraints as ESL determinants, a practice also reflected in policy documents which do not mention the role of broader social and economic conditions shaping early school leaving.

La percepción del profesorado de Educación Primaria y Educación Secundaria sobre las variables que influyen en el Abandono Escolar Temprano

“…Los encuestados no han considerado relevantes en su contexto ser familia numerosa, vivir en una familia monoparental, tener padres solteros/divorciados, tener padrastros, no vivir con los padres, ser huérfano, los bajos ingresos de los padres, tener una excesiva dependencia de los padres, la diferencia cultural entre el hogar y el centro escolar y pertenecer a una familia que desprecia a los grupos minoritarios (Bowers et al, 2013;De Witte et al, 2013;Ekstrand, 2015;Ferguson et al, 2005;Jugovic & Doolan, 2013;Ngwakwe, 2014).…”

“…Por otra parte, los encuestados no han considerado relacionadas con el AET las características propias del centro (que este sea público, distancia del hogar o número de estudiantes en el centro), tal y como concluyen diversos estudios (De Witte et al, 2013;Folgar et al, 2013;Jugovic & Doolan, 2013;Tukudane et al, 2015).…”

“…Finalmente, dentro de los factores familiares, se encuentran las características de los padres, como tener bajos ingresos o el bajo nivel cultural (De Witte et al, 2013;Jugovic & Doolan, 2013;Ngwakwe, 2014); la estructura familiar, como ser familia numerosa o padres solteros (Bowers et al, 2013;De Witte et al, 2013;Ekstrand, 2015;Jugovic & Doolan, 2013;Ngwakwe, 2014); un mal ambiente general en la familia y un mal comportamiento de los padres hacia los hijos, desde el maltrato y el rechazo, hasta el poco apoyo hacia los hijos (Bowers et al, 2013;Ferguson, Tilleczek, Boydell & Rummens, 2005;Jugovic & Doolan, 2013;Sutphen, Ford & Flaherty, 2010), y, finalmente, los factores socioculturales (Ferguson et al, 2005;Jugovic & Doolan, 2013;Tukudane et al, 2015).…”

“…Por último, en cuanto al centro escolar, los factores encontrados son la organización interna, el ambiente escolar o la escasez de recursos humanos y materiales (De Witte et al, 2013;Freeman & Simonsen, 2015;Jugovic & Doolan, 2013;Ngwakwe, 2014;Townsend et al, 2007).…”

Perspektiva stručnih suradnika o ispadanju učenika iz srednjih škola kao novom socijalnom problemu

“…Tako, primjerice, podaci Statističkog ljetopisa iz 2001. godine pokazuju da 12% učenika jedne generacije ne završava srednju školu (Ferić, Milas i Rihtar, 2010. ), dok rezultati studije GHK (koje koristi Europska komisija) pokazuju da je 2003. godine u Hrvatskoj bilo 8,4% učenika koji su rano napustili školovanje (GHK, 2005.;Jugović i Doolan, 2013.). S druge strane, Matković (2009.…”