A new report published by the Ministry of Education revealed that the number of school dropouts rose again in the last school year.
In the school year 2020-21, 1,736 pupils dropped out of school, amounting to 8.2% of the student population. This figure is comparable to 2016-17, when 1,720 students ended their schooling early (around 8.15%).
In 2019/2020 the number dropped to 6.92%, after it had reduced slightly the previous year as well.
“Décrochage scolaire”, or dropping out, refers to when a pupil leaves school part way through a school year, or at the end of a year, without obtaining a diploma.
Around 23% of dropouts return to school the following year - a number which is slowly rising. In 2020/2021, the number of pupils returning reached 6.31%.
Boys in their ninth or tenth year of schooling (5e, 4e or in apprenticeships) who have repeated a school year twice already are most likely to end their schooling before obtaining a leaving certificate.
The Ministry said in a statement that Luxembourg’s school dropout rate is still lower than the EU average, which currently sits at 10%.
