Page 36 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 36
Cross-sectoral education policies against ESL at the EU level
The great political significance of education’s cross-sectoral character is
closely linked to the Lisbon Strategy where education is defined as an issue
of social cohesion and economic competitiveness. Since then, the cross-sec-
toral approach has been recognised as a promising measure for address-
ing various important issues (efficiency and equity of education, social di-
mension of education etc.). For example, the European Commission (2006)
states that education policies alone cannot address educational disadvan-
tage since educational opportunities are limited by the interplay of person-
al, social, cultural and economic factors. Similarly, Council Conclusions
(2010) argue that education is neither the sole cause of social exclusion, nor
the sole solution to it. In all cases, it is pointed out that multi-sectoral ap-
proaches are required that can articulate education measures with broad-
er social and economic policies (employment, the economy, social inclu-
sion, youth, health, justice, housing and social services). The importance
of the cross-sectoral dimension in addressing contemporary EU prob-
lems is also evident from the Europe 2020 Strategy for Smart Sustainable
Inclusive Growth (Halász, 2013), where several flagship initiatives (includ-
ing the Agenda for new skills and jobs, Agenda Youth on the Move) and
targets (including ESL) presuppose the cross-sectoral cooperation of edu-
cation with other policy fields.4
Although reducing ESL was already detected as an EU policy priori-
ty in 2002 and various measures for addressing it have since been identi-
fied and applied, cross-sectoral cooperation is a relatively recent addition
to them. Council Conclusions (2010; 2011; 2015) stated that comprehensive,
cross-sectoral strategies providing a range of school-wide and systemic pol-
icies targeting the different factors leading to ESL should be put in place
and applied. Similarly, the European Commission (2013) argues that »In
order to be effective, policies against ESL should be cross-sectorial and in-
volve stakeholders from different policy areas«. These arguments indicate
that ESL is understood as a problem of the education system, society and
the school, rather than a problem caused only by the young person and
their family, background or peers (Nevala & Hawley, 2011). One can argue
that the multi-faceted nature of the risk of ESL in turns calls for a multi-fac-
eted (cross-sectoral) response.
4 Ecorys (2014, p. 3) reports that at the highest political level education was attribut-
ed with cross-cutting, horizontal importance in paragraph 9 of the Treaty of Lisbon
(2009).
36
The great political significance of education’s cross-sectoral character is
closely linked to the Lisbon Strategy where education is defined as an issue
of social cohesion and economic competitiveness. Since then, the cross-sec-
toral approach has been recognised as a promising measure for address-
ing various important issues (efficiency and equity of education, social di-
mension of education etc.). For example, the European Commission (2006)
states that education policies alone cannot address educational disadvan-
tage since educational opportunities are limited by the interplay of person-
al, social, cultural and economic factors. Similarly, Council Conclusions
(2010) argue that education is neither the sole cause of social exclusion, nor
the sole solution to it. In all cases, it is pointed out that multi-sectoral ap-
proaches are required that can articulate education measures with broad-
er social and economic policies (employment, the economy, social inclu-
sion, youth, health, justice, housing and social services). The importance
of the cross-sectoral dimension in addressing contemporary EU prob-
lems is also evident from the Europe 2020 Strategy for Smart Sustainable
Inclusive Growth (Halász, 2013), where several flagship initiatives (includ-
ing the Agenda for new skills and jobs, Agenda Youth on the Move) and
targets (including ESL) presuppose the cross-sectoral cooperation of edu-
cation with other policy fields.4
Although reducing ESL was already detected as an EU policy priori-
ty in 2002 and various measures for addressing it have since been identi-
fied and applied, cross-sectoral cooperation is a relatively recent addition
to them. Council Conclusions (2010; 2011; 2015) stated that comprehensive,
cross-sectoral strategies providing a range of school-wide and systemic pol-
icies targeting the different factors leading to ESL should be put in place
and applied. Similarly, the European Commission (2013) argues that »In
order to be effective, policies against ESL should be cross-sectorial and in-
volve stakeholders from different policy areas«. These arguments indicate
that ESL is understood as a problem of the education system, society and
the school, rather than a problem caused only by the young person and
their family, background or peers (Nevala & Hawley, 2011). One can argue
that the multi-faceted nature of the risk of ESL in turns calls for a multi-fac-
eted (cross-sectoral) response.
4 Ecorys (2014, p. 3) reports that at the highest political level education was attribut-
ed with cross-cutting, horizontal importance in paragraph 9 of the Treaty of Lisbon
(2009).
36
