The data currently collected by the Register of Students of Catalonia, RALC, for the 2021–2022 academic year indicate that the level of school dropout is 23.6%, approximately one in five students, in intermediate vocational training cycles, and 4.7% in the third year of ESO. The main reasons that the RALC collects for these withdrawals are personal or family reasons, work reasons, accident or illness, transfer to another center, application of the absenteeism protocol, or lack of interest in studies.
Likewise, according to RALC data, in the 21-22 academic year there was a dropout rate of 6.47% in the fourth year of ESO and 5.08% in the first year of Baccalaureate. The 2022 Active Population Survey, EPA, places the school dropout rate in Catalonia at an average of 16.9%. The European Union establishes a much shorter dropout rate as a target for 2030, of only 9%.
These figures were presented this morning at the summit against early school leaving that was held in Manresa. In it, the Minister of Education, Josep Gonzàlez-Cambray, stated that the department will promote a crash plan against school dropouts. In addition, he will share abandonment data with municipalities for the first time so that they can develop policies to combat it.
At the summit it was also announced that to fight against these figures, two working groups will be created to develop detection indicators for students who are potentially predisposed to dropping out, and municipalities will be accompanied in the development of local prevention plans.
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Names and surnames
The Minister of Education, Josep Gonzàlez-Cambray, declared at the summit that “we have to give names and surnames to students who drop out or are at risk of dropping out. We cannot abandon them “. Cambray has remarked that this plan against abandonment “we must share these names and surnames with the municipalities. We must go looking for each story, each student, each family and accompany them to continue being linked to the educational system”.
The minister has highlighted the main role of local authorities, stating that “this can only be done in conjunction with the local services that the Town Halls have”. Finally, the Minister of Education has concluded that ” we are risking the future and the opportunities of a generation “.