A dropout is a student who leaves the school system during or at the end of a school year without a diploma or certificate. The Ministry of Education has counted 1,670 dropouts for the 2019/2020 school year, which corresponds to a rate of 8.16%.
In Luxembourg, the dropout rate is therefore still below the 10% threshold set as a target by the European Union as part of its 'Europe 2020' strategy.
The vast majority of these dropouts, 90%, have had to repeat a school year at least two times. 60% of all dropouts were boys. 46% were pupils in the fifth or fourth grade of either classic or general secondary studies, or students in the first year CCP (Certificate of professional ability) or DAP (Professional aptitude diploma), all of which are pivotal years requiring pupils to make a choice about their school or professional career.
Pupils attending a DAP class account for almost one fifth of all dropouts, and they still constitute the largest share. An increase was also recorded among pupils in the lower grades of general secondary education (seventh to fifth grade): whereas they represented 17% of dropouts in 2016/2017, they represent 20% in 2019/2020.
There are three main reasons given by pupils for dropping out of school
The National Youth Service (SNJ) has launched a new project to support young people who have dropped out of school. The aim is to help students make a better choice when determining their education, so that they can graduate and have a better chance of finding a job.
The SNJ also tries to reach out to all students who interrupt their education. Last year, it succeeded in doing so for 1,323 of the 1,670 dropouts.
