Drop outs in ItalyBasic indicators – School year 2006-2007

from:

Statistics by the Ministry of Public Education

Topic and context School drop outs

in the Italian secondary school, through the analysis of a set of indicators

given the high percentage of early school-leavers in the partner countries, the EU calls for raising the level of skills

TOPIC

CONTEXT

SCHOOL DROP OUTS

Irregular school

attendanceSchool failure

School withdrawal and early-

leaving

Low level of school

education (compulsory secondary

education)

Low level of socio-economic

development

Strong attraction towards easy-to-

start jobs

Compulsory schooling from 14

ys to 16 ys and introduction of the so-called diritto-

dovere until 18 ys

Indecision at the moment of choosing

Repetition rate

Delay rate

Non-admission rate

Ineffective guidance

Learning difficulties

CLASSICALEDUCATION

ARTISTICEDUCATIO

N

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

TRADITIONAL PATH INTEGRATED PATH

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION

NON-UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION

UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL (USS)(age 14-19)

LABOUR MARKET

PRIMARY SCHOOL(age 6-11)

COMPULSORY SECONDARY SCHOOL(age 11-14)

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

APPRENTICESHIP

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

CO

MP

ULS

OR

Y S

CH

OO

LIN

G 1

0YS

THE ITALIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Italian Laws concerning Education and Training (= the Italian efforts to fight against: school drop-outs, early school-leaving and early

entrance into the labour market)

• L. 9/1999 – schooling until 12 school years• L. 15/04/2005 – schooling until 8 school years• Financial Law 2007 – schooling until 16 years of age and

the so-called E&T Diritto-Dovere until 18 years of age (this means that young people cannot stop their education and training path until they have attained a qualification within the licei system, the vocational education and training system as well as the apprenticeship system (until 18 years of age)

1. What do we mean by school drop outs?

School drop outs=

early/untimely entrance into the labour market without possessing specific

competences(young people with a low level of school

education and/or only possessing the first cycle of education certificate)

2. What do we mean by school drop outs?

1. The number of drop-outs in a schoolyear

“National” indicators used:• Number of students repeating one or more years;• Number of students passed with “school debits”;• Delays summed up in the various school years;• Passages to another course of studies

2. The number of young people aged 18-24 possessing only the first cycle of education certificate and away from the education and training system

“European” indicators used:• Number of early school leavers*

(*) one of the indicators used by the European Union to monitor the progress in raising the overall level of competence of the population in the partner countries according to the education objectives stated in the Lisbon European Council in the year 2000”

Young people possessing only the first cycle of education certificate: data concerning the year 2006

The Italian mean

20,8%The European mean

15,3%

Regions showing more difficulties

To solve the critical situation in the South of Italy:

Regional Policies (2000-2006 and 2007-2013)

Structural Funding (PON Programma Operativo Nazionale) to prevent and recover the school retention. The youngsters and adults’ inadequate level of competences contributes in the productive stagnation and weak social mobility

Indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of PON “Competences for the

development” 2007-2013

• Reduction % early school-leaving (from 26% to 10%)

• Reduction % students 15ys with poor competences in reading (from 35% to 20%)

• Reduction % students 15ys with poor competences in maths (from 48% to 21%)

• Reduction to 10% of the youngsters devoid of a upper secondary school diploma (see indicator early-school leavers)

Early school-leaving

Reason for school withdrawal: • to move to another school• because of an irregular attendance or

complete unattendance (even though never officially communicated) in courses offered by the education and training school system or in the integrated path offered by the Regions to acquire a vocational qualification

Official data on school drop outs*(* data provided by the Ministry of Education concerning State and State-recognised schools in the school year 2006/2007)

Compulsory Secondary School (1st grade)

2.791students(=0,1% enrolled)

Upper Secondary School (2nd grade)

44.664** students(=1,6% enrolled)

(** mostly in the first year of the course)

Analysing drop-outs: criteria

• In which geographical area?

• In which cycle?

• In which kind of school?

• In which kind of education and training path?

• What are the most discouraging subjects?

Analysing drop outs : in which geographical area?NORTHThe easy-to-start jobs not requiring a specialization, cause students to leave school early

SOUTHThe low level of socio-economical development causes students to leave school early

=

Analysing drop outs : in which cycle?

Compulsory Secondary School> in the first 2 years2,7% students repeating the 1st year

3,2% students repeating the 2nd year

Upper Secondary School> in the first 2 years8,5% students repeating the 1st year

7,2% students repeating the 2nd year

Analysing drop outs : in which kind of school?

Classical Education 90 out of 100 no failure(classical, scientific, linguistic upper secondary school)

Technical Education 63 out of 100 no failure

8,2% repeating one year

Vocational Education 57 out of 100 no failure

8,9% repeating one year

Analysing drop outs : in which kind of education and training path?

Rate of non-admission to the following year:

Vocational Schools 23,8%Technical Schools 17,8%

Reason: ineffectiveness in choosing the upper secondary school if compared with one’s attitudes and inclinations

Analysing drop outs : What are the most discouraging subjects?

- Maths*- Foreign Languages- Technical-professional Subjects

*OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has measured the Italian students skills in Math and Reading.

Results:1. The Nord of Italy shows > competences2. There are differences in assessing skills=> it should be

advisable to use shared assessment tools all over Italy