Page 378 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 378
ear ly school leaving: contempor ary european perspectives
skills and attitudes, such as risk aversion, patience and motivation, which
influence economic choices. And these are all factors that shape an individ-
ual’s satisfaction with life and also form a basis for building a satisfactory
life in the future and for future generations. With ESLers dropping out of
school too soon, they lose this potential and a greater risk also emerges of
their future generations adopting maladaptive behavioural patterns.
Relatedness of the private and social consequences of ESL
As seen from the study results stated above relating to the long-term con-
sequences of ESL, all of the consequences are somehow interrelated and
together form an overall impact on ESLers’ quality of life, including in
adulthood. However, different researchers pose a question regarding the
causality of those effects. Some authors (e.g. Crum et al., 1998; Hawkins et
al., 1992; Henry et al., 1999; Jarjoura, 1993; Lamb, 1994; Silbereisen, Robins,
& Rutter, 1995) suggest there is a causal association between leaving school
without qualifications and later outcomes, such that: a) leaving school
without qualifications reduces opportunities for social participation and
integration; and b) reduced opportunities for social participation are re-
flected in higher rates of crime and other maladaptive behaviours. This im-
plies that lowering the number of ESLers will have a positive effect by way
of reducing crime, substance use and welfare dependence. Some authors
(e.g. Bridgeland, DiIulio, and Morison, 2006; Fergusson et al., 2002) op-
pose this point of view and describe these associations as non-causal. Their
interpretation is that a wide range of adverse social, personal, educational
and behavioural factors were present prior to an individual’s ESL such as a
disadvantaged family background, lower cognitive ability, behavioural and
adjustment problems etc. Further, that those factors are the ones that are
reflected in an individual’s poorer social functioning and maladaptive be-
haviours in later life. In this context, ESL is merely a side-effect of those ad-
verse factors and is a form of maladaptive behaviour.
However, this does not diminish education’s role and impact in pro-
viding equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their background,
as a tool for combatting ESL. There is also evidence from a 21-year longitu-
dinal study (Fergusson et al., 2002) which confirms that ESL is an impor-
tant point in an individual’s life that later affects his/her quality of life in
the sense of a greater risk for adverse outcomes including crime, substance
abuse or dependence, welfare dependence and reduced participation in any
378
skills and attitudes, such as risk aversion, patience and motivation, which
influence economic choices. And these are all factors that shape an individ-
ual’s satisfaction with life and also form a basis for building a satisfactory
life in the future and for future generations. With ESLers dropping out of
school too soon, they lose this potential and a greater risk also emerges of
their future generations adopting maladaptive behavioural patterns.
Relatedness of the private and social consequences of ESL
As seen from the study results stated above relating to the long-term con-
sequences of ESL, all of the consequences are somehow interrelated and
together form an overall impact on ESLers’ quality of life, including in
adulthood. However, different researchers pose a question regarding the
causality of those effects. Some authors (e.g. Crum et al., 1998; Hawkins et
al., 1992; Henry et al., 1999; Jarjoura, 1993; Lamb, 1994; Silbereisen, Robins,
& Rutter, 1995) suggest there is a causal association between leaving school
without qualifications and later outcomes, such that: a) leaving school
without qualifications reduces opportunities for social participation and
integration; and b) reduced opportunities for social participation are re-
flected in higher rates of crime and other maladaptive behaviours. This im-
plies that lowering the number of ESLers will have a positive effect by way
of reducing crime, substance use and welfare dependence. Some authors
(e.g. Bridgeland, DiIulio, and Morison, 2006; Fergusson et al., 2002) op-
pose this point of view and describe these associations as non-causal. Their
interpretation is that a wide range of adverse social, personal, educational
and behavioural factors were present prior to an individual’s ESL such as a
disadvantaged family background, lower cognitive ability, behavioural and
adjustment problems etc. Further, that those factors are the ones that are
reflected in an individual’s poorer social functioning and maladaptive be-
haviours in later life. In this context, ESL is merely a side-effect of those ad-
verse factors and is a form of maladaptive behaviour.
However, this does not diminish education’s role and impact in pro-
viding equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their background,
as a tool for combatting ESL. There is also evidence from a 21-year longitu-
dinal study (Fergusson et al., 2002) which confirms that ESL is an impor-
tant point in an individual’s life that later affects his/her quality of life in
the sense of a greater risk for adverse outcomes including crime, substance
abuse or dependence, welfare dependence and reduced participation in any
378
