Substantial part of school drop-outs return to school after period of non-attendance

In school year 2009/’10, approximately 30 percent of pupils who had left school prematurely in 2004/’05 had returned to school or otherwise obtained a basic qualification. More women than men followed this pattern.

15 percent obtain basic qualification after leaving school prematurely

In the school year 2004/’05, 4.5 percent of people under the age of 23 left secondary education, general secondary vocational education (mbo) or adult education (vavo) without a basic qualification. Nearly 30 percent of these early school leavers attended education 5 years later or had otherwise obtained a basic qualification in the meantime. At the beginning of school year 2009/’10, 15 percent of early school leavers from 2004/’05 had eventually obtained the basic qualification certificate.

More women than men return to school

With 31 and 27 percent respectively, more women than men returned to school or otherwise obtained a basic qualification. The proportion of women who had obtained a basic qualification early 2009/’10 was also higher than among men, 16 percent versus 14 percent.

Early school leavers who returned to school or had otherwise obtained a basic qualification

More Surinamese than native Dutch women obtain basic qualification after period of non-attendance

Altogether, 18 percent of Surinamese women who had left school prematurely in 2004/’05 had obtained a basic qualification at the beginning of school year 2009/’10. The rate is marginally higher than for native Dutch women and substantially higher ((7 percentage points) than for Surinamese men. In general, the proportion of early school leavers who continue their schooling after a period of non-attendance to obtain a basic qualification is highest among native Dutch.

Early school leavers from 2004/’05 who obtained a basic qualification after a period of non-attendance on 1 October 2009/’10 by ethnic background

Return-to-school rate higher in stable home environment

In the period 2002-2004, the type of household of approximately 15 percent of early school leavers from school year 2004/’05 had changed, i.e. their parents had divorced or remarried or female premature school leavers had given birth. The proportion of young people in this category who subsequently managed to obtain a basic qualification certificate is about 4 percentage points lower than among early school leavers whose home environment remained stable.
The difference is the same for both genders.

Early school leavers from 2004/’05 with basic qualification on 1 October 2009/’10 by type of household

Frank P. Pijpers