In this symposium, we will present the findings of a comparative, EU policy oriented research team, namely the RESL.eu project ‘Reducing Early School Leaving in Europe’. The main objectives of this research project are to make an in-depth comparison of all aspects of and processes that lead to early school leaving within seven European countries: Belgium (Flanders), the Netherlands, Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain, Poland and Sweden. The rationale behind the RESL.eu project, is our conviction that the high rate of early school leavers (ESL) in the EU is primarily a symptom of the traditional education systems difficulties to adapt to new realities of shifting global and local social and economic dynamics. In the processes leading to a student’s decision to leave school or training early, many relevant indicators of structural/systemic, institutional and individual failure to adapt to and overcome these social transformations need to be uncovered.

Due to the multi-level nature of this project and the complex nature of early school leaving, we aim to provide more insights into these mechanisms and processes; as well as into the decision of school leavers to enrol in alternative learning arenas unrelated to regular secondary schools, making use of a mixed-method design. The main focus is to discuss early school leaving in a broad sense and in particular to examine young people (15-24 years old) that were (previously) enrolled in a wide range of educational institutions in and outside mainstream secondary education. Doing so, attention will be paid to specific vulnerable groups (e.g., (second generation) immigrants, lower social classes, Roma groups) within these institutions. The RESL.eu project is also innovative in this sense that it simultaneously studies measures developed inside or outside formal schooling. The combination of both focuses enables us to identify the many risk and protective factors on the various levels and contexts influencing educational trajectories.

Funded by the European Union, the results of this research project are in the first place aimed to support EU policy makers to use the existing knowledge and experience across all countries to get a better understanding of the role national/regional educational systems play with regard to processes that could result in early school leaving. Apart from this policy-oriented start of this project, the comparative character of this research project brings forth unique data, both qualitative and quantitative, that contribute to the existing literature on this matter. At the end of this symposium, we will reflect upon the ways in which this clearly policy-oriented research has impacted educational research and how both policies and academia interplay with each other with regard to matters which are placed highly on the political agenda.

Ryan, L., Lőrinc, M., D’Angelo, A., Kaye, N., Araújo, H.C., Magalhães, A., Rocha, C. & Macedo, E. (2013). Policies on Early School Leaving in nine European countries: a comparative analysis, Middlesex Uni-versity, https://www.uantwerpen.be/images/uantwerpen/container23160/files/RESL%20Publication%201.pdf Kaye, N., D’Angelo, A., Ryan, L., Lőrinc, M. (2016). Attitudes of school personnel to Early School Leaving, Middlesex University, https://www.uantwerpen.be/images/uantwerpen/container23160/files/Publication%202_revisedfinal.pdf Nouwen, W., Van Praag, L., Van Caudenberg, R., Clycq, N., & C. Timmerman (2016). School-based Prevention and Intervention Measures and Alternative Learning Approaches to Reduce Early School Leaving. Ce-MIS, University of Antwerp, https://www.uantwerpen.be/images/uantwerpen/container23160/files/RESL_Publicatie_A4_v5.pdf