How to fight school failure

February 08, 2023

Article last edited on May 23, 2018 by Admin

Reducing school failure pays off for society and individuals. It can also contribute to economic growth and social development. Indeed, the most successful education systems among OECD countries are those that combine quality and equity. 

Equity in education implies that personal or social circumstances such as gender, ethnic origin or family background are in no way obstacles to the realization of the educational potential (equity) of each individual and to this that they reach a level of basic minimum skills (inclusion). In these education systems, a very large majority of students have the opportunity to acquire high skills, regardless of their personal and socio-economic circumstances.

OECD countries face the problem of school failure and dropout

In OECD countries, almost one in five students does not reach the level of basic minimum skills needed to function in today’s society (indicating a lack of inclusion). Students from low socio-economic backgrounds are twice as likely to perform poorly, meaning that personal or social circumstances are barriers to achieving their educational potential (denoting a lack of equity) . The lack of inclusion and equity can lead to academic failure, of which dropping out is the most visible manifestation. About 20% of young adults drop out of the school system without completing upper secondary education.

Proportion of 25-34 year olds who have not completed secondary school (2nd degree) in 2009

It pays to improve equity and reduce school failure

The economic and social costs of school failure and stall are high. On the other hand, successful completion of secondary education enables individuals to improve their job prospects and lead healthy lives, and also results in more public investment through higher taxes.

Improving people’s qualifications contributes to the emergence of more democratic societies and more sustainable economies, while reducing their dependence on public support structures and their exposure to recessions. Societies with a skilled population are better prepared to deal with the current crisis and potential future crises.

Investing in pre-primary, primary and secondary education for all, and in particular for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, is a fair and at the same time economically profitable measure.e.

Investment policies from early childhood and throughout upper secondary education

On the road to economic recovery, education has become central to the growth strategies of OECD countries. To be effective in the long term, progress in education must enable all students to have access to quality education from early childhood, to remain in the system at least until the end of education upper secondary education and to obtain the skills and knowledge essential for successful integration into the labor and social market.

One of the most effective education strategies for governments is to invest from early childhood through to upper secondary school. Policies that aim to ensure that all students achieve at least a minimum level of skills by the end of secondary education are essential for individual advancement and social progress, and the benefits of these investments l outweigh the costs.

Governments can prevent School failure and reduce dropout using two parallel approaches: targeting low-performing disadvantaged schools and eliminating system-level practices that undermine equity. However, in order for students to succeed, education policies need to be aligned with other government policies such as housing or social benefits.

Text: OECD

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