Education ministers seek to cut the number of school drop-outs

Citation

(2004), "Education ministers seek to cut the number of school drop-outs", Education + Training, Vol. 46 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2004.00446aab.015

Education ministers seek to cut the number of school drop-outs

Education ministers seek to cut the number of school drop-outs

Education ministers aim over the next seven years to cut from 19 per cent to 10 per cent the number of young people who leave school without qualifications. "The number of students who drop out of their studies is too high," said Italian education minister Letizia Moratti, following a meeting of European education ministers and specialists at Rimini. "There are social reasons causing pupils to drop out of school that can be identified at an early age and tackled with speed, but prevention alone is not enough. More personalized school courses are needed that correspond to the needs and abilities of the young." He explained that participants agreed to exchange experiences of best practice in order to "reduce failure at school and provide all young people with the opportunity to gain a qualification and so a surer and better paid job".

Viviane Reding, European commissioner for education and training, said: "We cannot allow ourselves to leave part of our young to one side in a society that is becoming globalized. We must therefore intensify our efforts to achieve the goals set by the European Council." The Lisbon summit, in March 2000, included among its goals that of halving by 2010 the number of people aged 18-24 who have not completed the first part of secondary education and who do not continue with their studies or training.