Early School Leaving in Luxembourg Action locale pour jeunes PV Foundation Meeting Brussels 8.3.2013

GDL education and training system Main characteristics Compulsory school between the ages of 4 and 16 Pre-primary and primary education 3 to 11 years of age (total number of pupils: about 47000) Secondary education from 12 years onwards divided into two routes (total number of pupils: 40000) General secondary education (7 years) Technical/vocational secondary education (TVET)

TVET… has 3 types of regimes accessible after completion of the corresponding lower cycle (3 years): technical regime (5 years) technician regime (4 years) vocational regime (3 years – including apprenticeship) which are accessible after completion of the corresponding lower cycle (3 years)

67% of all secondary pupils are attending TVET, Repartition of pupils 67% of all secondary pupils are attending TVET, ► of which 43,20 % are foreigners 33% of all secondary pupils are attending general secondary education, ► of which 19,10 % are foreigners A ‘stratified system’ based on an academic selection operated typically at age 11 (Shewbridge/OECD 2012)

The country’s small size (2587 km2, 540000 inhabitants) Specific features The country’s small size (2587 km2, 540000 inhabitants) Multilingualism (three official languages: Luxembourgish, German and French) The main language of instruction depends on the level of instruction: Luxembourgish German French L is used at pre-primary level, G used at primary level (French introduced from the 2nd year) , F is used from the 4th of secondary education

Specific features (2) Very heterogeneous pupil population due to a large proportion of residents in Luxembourg of foreign origin: 48 % of the pupils entering Luxembourg’s primary school in 2010/2011 had a foreign nationality (MENFP, 2012). As such, many pupils speak a different language at home than the languages spoken at school.

Grade repetition is relatively common practice in Luxembourg. Specific features (3) Grade repetition is relatively common practice in Luxembourg. There is a significant discrepancy between the theoretical age for a given grade and the real age of the student, which is particularly evident in TVET. In 2011/2011, the proportion of pupils older than their theoretical age was about 18% in pre-primary and primary school pupils, 19% in general secondary schools and as much as 63.5% in TVET (MENFP, 2012). Partly due to the high requirement of language learning in the national education and training system

Early School Leaving (ESL) Statistics (issued by Eurostat Labour Force Survey as well as by national administrative sources) show that ESL has been gradually decreasing and stabilising in Luxembourg in recent years. According to the Labour Force Survey data, ESL rates are at around 6.2% in 2011, down from 7.7% in 2009 (EU average: 13.5%).

ESL A systematic procedure has been developed by the Ministry, together with ALJ, to identify young people leaving school on the basis of information available on the digital national register of pupils in secondary education and to contact them in order to determine their current activities/status in terms of education, employment or training. The « Fichier des élèves »

School year Number of ESL 2010/2011 1888 2009/2010 1660 2007/2008 1928

Factors leading to ESL The risk of leaving school early is only statistically significant among older pupils (aged 16 and beyond) who are no longer concerned by compulsory school attendance. all figures refer to 2010/2011 data

Factors leading to ESL (2) Risk is much stronger among those pupils who are older than their peers due to grade repetition, especially those who have more than one grade. Indeed, nearly all permanent early school leavers (99.2%) had repeated at least one grade. Boys face higher risks: approximately 61% of permanent early school leavers are male.

Factors leading to ESL (3) Pupils in TVET are overrepresented among early school leavers, especially students in the last year of the lower cycle of TVET (‘9th year’) and pupils in the ‘vocational regime’, including apprentices. For example, pupils registered in CATP/DAP (one of the forms of the vocational regime) represent 10.1% of all secondary students but 30.4% of permanent early school leavers.

Factors leading to ESL (4) Foreign-born pupils are over-represented among early school leavers. It is acknowledged that this is partly due to linguistic difficulties that pupils of migrant origin typically experience.

Factors leading to ESL (5) Poor academic performance is a key trigger of ESL. Students with an immigrant background, including second-generation migrants are considered to be at a significant disadvantage.

Factors leading to ESL (6) Key reasons are academic underachievement and fear of failure (highlighted by approximately 28% of early school leavers) and inappropriate choice of orientation for about 22%. Other reasons are problems to find or keep an apprenticeship placement (about 14%), personal reasons (13%) and the lack of motivation to pursue education and training (12%).

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The activities of ALJ (Local Action for Youth) ALJ is an initiative of the services in charge of vocational training of the MENFP. It focuses on the provision of support to young people in their transition from school to working life, to school drop-outs who want to return to school and more generally, to any young people between the age of 15 and 25 seeking information and guidance in relation to education, vocational and labour market issues.  

ALJ: Local Action for Youth Main Tasks: Support and accompaniment of pupils and young adults during their transition from school to active life (age range: 15-25) Prevention of early school leaving Individual accompaniment of early school leavers

ALJ ALJ provides guidance on school-to-work transition and information to pupils in the last year of the lower cycle of TVET (‘9th grade’) in relation to apprenticeships. For example, one-day courses are offered to 9th grade pupils about how to find a placement and are organised in cooperation with ADEM and involves approximately 2000 pupils per year).

ALJ ALJ staff help young people design an individual project for education, vocational training or integration into the labour market. ALJ has 10 local offices and its staff is composed of youth workers/educators. Networking with relevant stakeholders is of great importance for ALJ staff, who works in close cooperation with detached teachers from secondary schools affected to the organisation of vocational guidance activities.

ALJ Young people interested in applying for an apprenticeship placement and who need extra support are also monitored by ALJ staff from the third quarter of the academic year until they find a placement or another solution.

ALJ ALJ staff systematically monitor the educational progression of young people leaving the 9th grade (based on the information provided by detached teachers and on the register of pupils). Since 2003, local ALJ offices systematically follow-up young people identified as early school leavers (based on the listings provided monthly by the MENFP).

ALJ The main purpose is to understand the current status of the young person and offer services as considered relevant. ALJ staff provide individual mentoring and coaching through face to face meetings with the young person so that a solution can be found.

ALJ The approach of the ALJ is proactive in the month following the school leaving in order to offer an individual accompaniment in the transition phase 1st contact by letter addressed to the parents in order to offer the support of the ALJ In case of non-response, the ALJ contacts the parents or the youngster Offer of assistance and support until the youngster has found a solution

Main recent policy measures

three axes of intervention: promotion of educational success, strengthening of vocational guidance and reintegration programmes.

Main policy measures Guidance and orientation activities are being strengthened by the coordination of counselling services through a ‘maison d’orientation’. This approach aims to bring together a cross-sector, multi-agency pool of expertise from key stakeholders, such as Public Employment Services, Psychological and School Guidance Center, the Center for Documentation and Information on University Studies, the Local Action for Youth (ALJ) and the National Youth Service (SNJ).

Main policy measures For example, newly arrived children and their parents can receive specific support through what is termed as a reception desk; they can also request the service of intercultural mediators to translate and provide advice on schooling and the education system more broadly. CASNA - Cellule d’accueil scolaire pour nouveau arrivants (for children aged 12 and above).

Main policy measures Luxembourg’s first second chance school (Ecole de la deuxieme chance, E2C) was set up in March 2011.

Challenges An analysis of early school leaving of recently immigrated youngsters and elaboration of appropriate measures Improve opportunities for orientational internships for early school leavers Invest in preventive measures by upgrading the research of the causes for early school leaving

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