Lifelong Learning Programme

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Lifelong Learning Project - School Inclusion - Preventing Early School Leaving

Database of Publications

TITLE OF THE PUBLICATION:

Do Dropouts Drop Out Too Soon? International Evidence From Changes in School-Leaving Laws

SURNAME AND NAME OF AUTHOR(S):

Oreopoulos Philip

PUBLISHER:

National Bureau of Economic Research

PLACE AND DATE OF PUBLICATION:

Cambridge, Dicember 2003

TYPE OF PUBLICATION:

Working Paper

LANGUAGE/S OF PUBLICATION:

English

LANGUAGE OF REVIEW:

English

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS:

This paper focuses on the problem of early school leaving using the instrument of comparative research. The author chose, as a representative sample, the cases of United States, Canada and United Kingdom and collected data on the basis of every national situation of the three countries. Using a long-term perspective, the author depicted the main consequences for the early leavers in terms of wealth, health, and other labor market activities The author called into question the traditional approach with which institutions, society and families looked at the students’ decisions of dropping out from school. Then he compared his analysis with the previous studies focusing on the dropout outcomes. The analysis of the effects of the national policies for the enlargement of the minimum school leaving age shows positive features: students compelled to go to schools, even if only for one year more, gain in terms of present value income and chances of employment.
This study provides a wide range of data, including the material and psychological reasons for the giving up decisions and the consequences of this kind of choice. The methodological approach and the various steps of the research are largely described in the last sections of the article. Nevertheless, this work reflects upon the utility of national policies in the field of education, looking at their effects in the students’ lives.

COMMENTS ON THIS PUBLICATION:

The author of the present article provides a rationale perspective for the analysis of the dropping out problems. He makes use of a cross-country collection of data, with which he compares three national situations at different spacial and temporal levels. This kind of approach is very helpful to the readers because it presents the different results reached by similar national policies. The readers are therefore invited to reflect upon the consequences of the enlargement of the minimum school leaving age with regard to both positive and negative aspects. Another interesting feature that arises from this study is the unconventional way of considering the early leaving problem and the attention posed to the income benefits that, according to the author, are to be expected by the enlargement in the duration of the scholastic career. The author tackles the drop outs in extreme details describing the whole process of research so that each step and its correlated conclusion are clearly explained.

NAME OF COMPILER:

Sara Ciabattini

NAME OF INSTITUTION:

Pixel Association

ROLE:

Project Assistant



Zone d'identification

4 mars 2013

Lancement du Module 5 “Soutien externe et coopération”

Au cours du mois de mars 2013, les partenaires forment les enseignants impliqués dans le projet au Module 5 "Soutien externe et coopération". Le module examine les ressources et soutiens externes pour les enseignants et élèves pour les aider à prévenir le décrochage scolaire.

School Inclusion - Copyright 2008 - Ce projet a bénéficié du soutien financié de la Commission européenne

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