Dropouts are characterized by the early exit from school before the conclusion of  schooling and / or before the age of 18.

School dropouts happen when a student does not adapt to the standards equally demanded to the whole class, begins to lose interest in school and ends up abandoning it. It can happen to students who have the ability and intelligence to succeed, but are unable or unwilling to apply those skills in school. 

There are several factors that can lead to dropouts: depression, anxiety, family problems, learning difficulties, etc. Other causes are the lack of proper housing and physical conditions to study, poverty, frequent school transfers and the inability to speak Portuguese.

School failure is a problem of school achievement, which results in grade repetition

School dropouts and failure are often related - many of the early school leavers have academic pathways marked by school failure

The causes of failure are varied and may focus on several factors, such as:o Studentso Familieso Teacherso Schoolso Curriculumo Society

Students:

- Lack of motivation

- The emotional instability in adolescence. This often leads the student to reject school, to reduce commitment towards their studies, and often to indiscipline

- Delays in cognitive development

- Lifestyles. Difficulty in balancing school requirements with other diverse personal activities (frequent nights out, computer games, sports, etc.), provoking poorly regulated life habits

 

Families: -Authoritarian parents, family conflicts, litigious divorces can lead the student to

feel rejected and begin to disregard his school career, adopting an undisciplined behavior

-The social origin, especially families with low economic resources, where the greatest percentage of school failures is found

-The cultural values of families with low economic resources are, according to some sociologists, opposed to those that the school proposes and supposes (individual merit, competitive spirit, etc.)

- Too little time to educate children

Teachers:

- Teaching methods, didactic resources and communication techniques are unsuitable for the characteristics of the class or of each student, leading to poor pedagogical relationships that negatively influence the results

- Managing classroom discipline

Schools:

- A high number of students per school and per class

- Very heterogeneous classes, which tends to increase conflict and affect individual academic achievement

- the physical conditions of some educational establishments (lack of equipment, central heating...)

Curriculums:

- Curriculum deficiency; students begin new school cycles without the pre-required knowledge or skills

- High academic load and heavy schedules

- Overloaded school curricula that do not allow teachers to use active methodologies where students may play the key role

Society

- Current society is based on a set of values that discourage studying (fun, individualism and consumerism), three values that schools avoid teaching

Brief summary of the previsously presented factors and other aspects to be considered

 Society

Social structureEducational requirements

  

Family

Socioeconomic levelCultural identityDedicationExpectations

  

Education system

Public expenditureTeacher training Curriculum flexibilityAssessment and certification system

 School

Socioeconomic levelSchool cultureManagement and coordination Participation

 Class

Attitude and expectations Teaching methodEvaluation

 Student

CapacityMotivationSocial and affective developmentBehaviour

Mainland Portugal and autonomous regions

Dropout rate in Portugal : 

- Portugal: 13,7%Male: 16,4% Female: 11,0% Source: INE, Pordata

  

Agrupamento de Escolas Alfândega da Fé: 0% Source: Projeto Educativo Agrupamento de Escolas Alfândega da Fé

Measures taken by our Group of Schools to combat failure/dropouts

Strategic Action Plan containing 6 measures:

1- Teaching practice in the subject of Portuguese

2- Teaching practice in the subject of Maths

3- Teaching practice in Experimental Sciences

4- Teacher Supervision aiming at Professional Development

5- Measure aimed at integrating foreign students and their families

6- Measure aimed at improving students’ study habits

1- Teaching practice in the subject of Portuguese

Goals:

• Creating a pleasure for reading

• Promoting expressive reading

• Improving students’ writing skills and text organization

• Reducing students’ difficulties in writing

Some activities: Reading/ludic activities; Bringing writers into our school; Standardizing registration models for student assessment

2- Teaching practice in the subject of Maths

Goals:

• Providing students with the knowledge of and ability to use the multiplication and division algorithms

• Providing students with problem solving skills

Some activities: Selection of appealing/playful activities, according to the students’ difficulties; Biweekly application of mini-tests

3- Teaching practice in Experimental Sciences

Goals:

• Promoting the experimental teaching of sciences following the scientific method in order to integrate theory and practice during the exploration of activities in order to increase educational success

• Fostering problem-based learning

Some activities: Performing experimental activities following the scientific method; Writing by the students of scientific reports according to their grade

4- Teacher Supervision aiming at Professional Development

Goals:

- Implementing peer supervision and reflective practices at school

- Consolidating teamwork and collaboration skills

- Creating opportunities for professional development and self-regulation of practice

- Adopting more diversified measures to promote school success

Activities: Scheduling peer supervision classes, made by each department (all teachers with a class participate); Collaborative development of a script for reflection on classroom observation

5-Measure aimed at integrating foreign students and their families

Goals:

- Increasing attendance at PTO meetings by foreign students’ parents/tutors;

- Encouraging the appreciation of the school among these students and their parents

- Promoting the training and participation of families in their children’s educational path

- Promoting interculturality

Activities: Classes of Portuguese as a Foreign Language for immigrant students; Informational leaflet about the school and the importance of school attendance translated into Bulgarian; Hiring an intercultural mediator

6-Measure aimed at improving students’ study habits

Goals:

- Improving student autonomy and responsibility

- Standardizing class rules

- Motivating learning through the diversity of strategies

- Promoting autonomous study habits and work methods adapted to individual needs

Activities: Providing a class time for study support activities; Valuing students’ merit, dedication and effort through the maintenance of the “Best Class” Award and the School Honours and Excellence Boards; Implementation of a Tutoring Program

Official websites about dropouts and failure in Portugal

https://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_base_dados Statistics of Portugal, Official dates, Instituto Nacional de Estatística

http://www.pordata.pt/Portugal Statistics of Portugal Pordata: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos

http://www.pordata.pt/Portugal/Taxa+de+abandono+precoce+de+educa%c3%a7%c3%a3o+e+forma%c3%a7%c3%a3o+total+e+por+sexo-433 Statistics of Portugal, Pordata: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos

http://observatorio-das-desigualdades.cies.iscte.pt/index.jsp?page=indicators&id=27 Observatory of Inequalities, Indicators: early school leavers