Education and Training Monitor 2024

Monitor Toolbox

EU-level target areas

Early school leaving

Main indicators

• Early leavers from education and training, measuring the share of the population aged 18-24 with at most lower secondary educational attainment and no longer in formal or non-formal education or training. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• Upper secondary educational attainment, measuring the share of people aged 20-24 with at least an upper secondary qualification. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

A closer look

• The main indicator on early school leaving is broken down by sex, region, and degree of urbanisation. A special extraction was done for a closer look at own and parental country of birth, years since arrival, and single years of age (EU average only). Data from 2022 are broken down by limitations due to health problems. Data from 2021 are broken down by parental educational attainment (EU average only).EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• The main indicator on upper secondary educational attainment is broken down by sex, degree of urbanisation, and precise level of education A special extraction was done for a closer look at parental country of birth (EU average only). A wider age bracket measures the share of people aged 18-24 with at least an upper secondary qualification. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• The main indicator on upper secondary educational attainment is also approximated using the EU Adult Education Survey. This indicator is broken down by parental educational attainment. EU ADULT EDUCATION SURVEY

Similar indicators

• Completion rate, measuring the share of entrants to upper secondary education (general and vocational programmes) completing the level by its theoretical duration and the theoretical duration plus two years by programme orientation. OECD EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2023
• Out-of-school rate at lower secondary level, measuring the share of the population of lower secondary school age not enrolled in formal education. UOE ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
• Out-of-school rate at upper secondary level, measuring the share of the population of upper secondary school age not enrolled in formal education. UOE ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
• Out-of-school rate by age, measuring the share of 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds who are not enrolled in school. UOE ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
• Participation at the end of mandatory schooling age, measured as share of the corresponding age population, calculated for ages (X-1), (X), and (X+1), where X is the final age at which formal education is compulsory in the national education system. UOE ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
• Enrolment of 18-24-year-olds, measuring the share of people aged 18-24 without upper secondary educational attainment participating in education and training. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• Enrolment comparison, comparing the share of 18-year-olds enrolled in education with the share of 24-year-olds enrolled in education. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• Formal and non-formal education, measuring the share of people aged 18-24 without upper secondary educational attainment currently in formal or non-formal education. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

Context

• Long-term absenteeism, measuring the share of students who had missed school for more than three consecutive months by student characteristics and the main reasons for it. OECD PISA
• Sense of belonging at school, measuring the share of students who agree or strongly agree that they belong at school. OECD PISA
• Early school leavers’ labour status and desire to work, measuring the labour status of early leavers from education and training and whether they want to work. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• NEET rate among undereducated youth, measuring the share of young people aged 15 to 29 with at most lower secondary educational attainment who are neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET). EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• Unemployment among undereducated youth, measuring the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 29 with at most lower secondary educational attainment. EU LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
• Desire to return to education, measuring the share of 18 to24-year-olds who do not participate in education and training but would like to, by educational attainment (EU average only). ADULT EDUCATION SURVEY
• Obstacles preventing a return to education, measuring the perceived obstacles identified by 18-24-year-olds who do not participate in education and training but would like to, by educational attainment (EU average only). ADULT EDUCATION SURVEY

Policy response

• Policies on early warning systems to prevent early school leaving.

  GO TO 2024 EURYDICE system-level indicators on early school leaving

• Learners targeted in top-level policies on individual education plans.

  GO TO 2024 EURYDICE system-level indicators on early school leaving

• Monitoring and evaluation of learners’ access to multidisciplinary support teams.

  GO TO 2024 EURYDICE system-level indicators on early school leaving

• Policies on the provision of education and career guidance in schools.

  GO TO 2024 EURYDICE system-level indicators on early school leaving

Further reading

• European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice 2023 report on early school leaving.
• European Commission (Joint Research Centre) 2023 reporton forecasting progress towards the EU-level targets of the European Education Area.