Page 356 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 356
ear ly school leaving: contempor ary european perspectives
used in those studies are identified (e.g. difficulties in scenario-mak-
ing due to high complexity and the rapidly changing environment;
the issue of fully identifying education’s causal impact on various
outcomes; the lack of data for estimating both the market-recog-
nised and social costs of ESL), which to some extent question the
credibility of their results. Since it is very hard or even impossible
to monetise the social effects of ESL, the article exposes this makes
them less convincing policy arguments than the economic costs of
ESL. Critical policy approaches (wicked problems, governance of
problems, problems represented to be) are introduced, showing that
policy problems are not neutral but political and social constructs,
thereby questioning the dominant (economic) understanding of the
ESL problem. Within this framework, the article concludes that in-
vestments made in reducing ESL should not be only valued in terms
of significant long-term financial savings, but that an essential com-
ponent of its equally important, albeit in research less convincing,
and visible contribution to a socially-cohesive EU society should also
be taken into account.
Key words: ESL, problem, social consequences, economic conse-
quences, EU
Introduction
Early school leaving in the EU is recognised as being a complex education-
al, economic and social problem (e.g. Council of the EU, 2011; 2015). The
question of what defines ESL as a problem is crucial given that problem
structuring is seen as the most critical task in the development of any poli-
cy (Dunn, 1981). Therefore, much attention in EU policy documents as well
as in research is paid to demonstrating the problems (negative consequenc-
es/impacts/effects/costs) ESL brings to individuals, societies, nation-states
and the EU as a whole. This level of attention helps EU member states iden-
tify and understand problems with education and training at the national
level (Ecorys, 2014) and provide a key rationale for tackling ESL among all
relevant actors (Ross & Leathwood, 2013).
Typcially, the literature addresses ESL by considering the costs
ESL brings to different individual and collective entities (Belfield, 2008;
Brunello & De Paola, 2013; Psacharopoulos, 2007). In that framework,
Psacharopoulos (2007) distinguishes the following costs brought about by
ESL: private (realised by the individual and mostly directly observed in
356
used in those studies are identified (e.g. difficulties in scenario-mak-
ing due to high complexity and the rapidly changing environment;
the issue of fully identifying education’s causal impact on various
outcomes; the lack of data for estimating both the market-recog-
nised and social costs of ESL), which to some extent question the
credibility of their results. Since it is very hard or even impossible
to monetise the social effects of ESL, the article exposes this makes
them less convincing policy arguments than the economic costs of
ESL. Critical policy approaches (wicked problems, governance of
problems, problems represented to be) are introduced, showing that
policy problems are not neutral but political and social constructs,
thereby questioning the dominant (economic) understanding of the
ESL problem. Within this framework, the article concludes that in-
vestments made in reducing ESL should not be only valued in terms
of significant long-term financial savings, but that an essential com-
ponent of its equally important, albeit in research less convincing,
and visible contribution to a socially-cohesive EU society should also
be taken into account.
Key words: ESL, problem, social consequences, economic conse-
quences, EU
Introduction
Early school leaving in the EU is recognised as being a complex education-
al, economic and social problem (e.g. Council of the EU, 2011; 2015). The
question of what defines ESL as a problem is crucial given that problem
structuring is seen as the most critical task in the development of any poli-
cy (Dunn, 1981). Therefore, much attention in EU policy documents as well
as in research is paid to demonstrating the problems (negative consequenc-
es/impacts/effects/costs) ESL brings to individuals, societies, nation-states
and the EU as a whole. This level of attention helps EU member states iden-
tify and understand problems with education and training at the national
level (Ecorys, 2014) and provide a key rationale for tackling ESL among all
relevant actors (Ross & Leathwood, 2013).
Typcially, the literature addresses ESL by considering the costs
ESL brings to different individual and collective entities (Belfield, 2008;
Brunello & De Paola, 2013; Psacharopoulos, 2007). In that framework,
Psacharopoulos (2007) distinguishes the following costs brought about by
ESL: private (realised by the individual and mostly directly observed in
356
