The ECER 2024 theme urges us to explore innovative ways to address longstanding educational challenges, recognising the work that has already been done while at the same time acknowledging the key role to be played by education and educational researchers in shaping a hopeful future. 

This symposium seeks to respond to this theme by exploring ways in which to expand educational possibilities for at-risk students by addressing underachievement and early school leaving (ESL). This is at the core of European strategic priorities and is even more critical in a post-pandemic era where educational possibilities have been stalled for marginalized students (Tarabini, A., et al. 2019; CEDEFOP, 2023). Drawing on findings from the large-scale Horizon Europe project ‘SCIREARLY’, the session synthesises evidence from ten European countries – Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, England, Italy, Greece, Malta and Belgium- across three papers. Using a range of methodological approaches - systematic review, scoping review, meta-analysis, and policy analysis – the symposium seeks to offer insights into the social determinants of underachievement and ESL, the role of high-quality early childhood education in addressing these challenges, and the range of policy approaches that prove to be effective in helping at-risk young people remain and thrive in school.

The symposium aims to :

(1) analyse the social determinants and root causes of underachievement and school dropout at primary and secondary education levels,

(2) investigate the influence of ECEC actions and programmes on basic skills, and

(3) map successful and less successful policies targeting the achievement gap from a comparative perspective.

Research Framework

This multidisciplinary European session includes three contributions that combine different methodologies. The first paper will see a systematic review of scientific literature on the social determinants of underachievement presented. This is followed by a scoping review and a meta-analysis that lists ECEC actions and programmes that better respond to children’s basic skills. The last paper discusses a policy analysis conducted in various European countries, identifying policy approaches that have been effective in addressing underachievement and ESL in the last 10 years.

Scholarly significance

While reducing underachievement and ESL has been the focus of many educational, research, and policy efforts in recent years, important gaps remain to be addressed. (European Commission, 2011; Siegle et al., 2012, Gillies and Misfsud, 2016) Therefore, advancing scientific knowledge to disentangle the link between the identified social determinants and achievement at school is essential, as is identifying transformative elements and contexts that allow all students, and in particular those identified as being at risk, to succeed. There is also a compelling argument requiring us to identify those elements within early childhood education and care that better equip children with robust basic skills that will enable them to stay in school and thrive throughout the later academic stages (Gonzalez-Motos & Sauri Saula, 2022).

In addition, while a vast number of policies and resources have been put in place to combat ESL and underachievement, the SCIREARLY project is currently pioneering the mapping of the most successful policies in this arena across different European countries. The multi-level and cross-national policy analysis presented in the symposium will allow us to gain a better understanding of the specific features behind successful educational policies, which in turn could inform future policy efforts to foster the success and well-being of all students in Europe (Benjamin, 2022).

Ultimately this symposium, drawing as it does on the insights of 10 European countries, allows us to explore what we know as European researchers, systematising this knowledge and ultimately facilitating its translation into effective policies and practices that comprehensively address underachievement and ESL (Schmitsek, 2022).

Cedefop (2023). Stemming the tide: tackling early leaving from vocational education and training in times of crises: synthesis report of Cedefop/ReferNet survey. Luxembourg: Publications Office. Cedefop research paper. Gillies, D. & Mifsud, D. (2016) Policy in transition: the emergence of tackling early school leaving (ESL) as EU policy priority, Journal of Education Policy, 31:6, 819-832, DOI: 10.1080/02680939.2016.1196393 European Commission (2011). Tackling early school leaving: A key contribution to the Europe 2020 Agenda. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. COM(2011) 18 final, Brussels, 31.1.2011 González-Motos, S., Saurí Saula, E. (2023). State Nurseries are Not for Us: The Limitations of Early Childhood Policies Beyond Price Barriers in Barcelona. IJEC 55, 295–312. Schmitsek, S. (2022). ‘Who are you to know who I am?’ Comparing the experiences of youth at risk of dropping out in England, Denmark and Hungary. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 52(2), 173-191. Scirearly Project https://scirearly.eu/ Tarabini, A., Curran, M., Montes, A., & Parcerisa, L. (2019). Can educational engagement prevent early school leaving?. Educational Studies, 45(2), 226–241.