Evidence has shown that individuals leaving school without qualifications are four times more likely to be unemployed than those with qualifications. Preventing and combatting unemployment therefore requires active measures both in the labour market and in the institutions responsible for preparing the future workforce - educational institutions. Attempts to remedy this problem have so far largely neglected children from socially excluded families - one of the most vulnerable groups in education. This book explores a wide range of strategies, both at the policy level and in the field, to improve educational success among such disadvantaged children, taking stock of good practice in a selection of EU member states, chosen to reflect the diversity in systems and policies that currently exist. The book suggests that a number of strategies are effective and feasible. The authors recommend that a sufficiently powerful opinion movement is needed to promote the transfer of experience and action on different levels. They conclude with several suggestions for good practice - not just equal opportunity and equal treatment but also equal outcomes strategies. The text should be useful for teachers, school administrators, educational researchers, policy makers, NGOs, parents' associations, those engaged in youth services and teacher training, and in formulating policies to secure the social integration of the young generation. The book reports on important research, funded by the European Commission, which explores a wide range of strategies, both at the policy level and in the field, to improve educational success among disadvantaged children. The countries studied include Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK. These countries were chosen to reflect the diversity in systems and policies that currently exist. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the relative success of different approaches and suggestions for good practice are made.
Author(s): Ides Nicaise
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 432
THE RIGHT TO LEARN......Page 2
Contents......Page 4
List of tables and figures......Page 5
List of abbreviations......Page 7
Have we given up?......Page 10
The target group: children in poverty......Page 12
Purpose and scope of the study......Page 15
Structure and methodology of the book......Page 19
The causes of educational inequality......Page 24
The educational situation of socially excluded children......Page 29
Socioeconomic background and educational outcomes: empirical evidence......Page 30
The implications of educational disadvantage......Page 40
Conclusions......Page 43
First criterion: ‘nature’ of the strategy (equal opportunity, equal treatment, equal outcomes)......Page 46
Synoptic tables......Page 52
Trends in compulsory education......Page 62
Aims of compulsory education......Page 64
Policies relating to school attendance: enforcement of the Act......Page 65
The mixed effects of compulsory schooling laws......Page 69
The shift from quantity to quality......Page 72
The shift from duty to right......Page 75
Conclusion......Page 81
A description of material and financial support measures......Page 84
The impact of financial and material support: evaluation......Page 98
Conclusions......Page 104
5. Integrated services for disadvantaged young people......Page 106
The objectives of integrated services......Page 107
Building up an integrated approach: partners and content of the activities......Page 109
Providing integrated approaches: a review of institutional structures......Page 115
Integrated approaches: from a first assessment to further developments......Page 124
6. Early childhood education......Page 132
Background to early childhood intervention programmes......Page 133
Early childhood provision in Europe......Page 135
Intervention programmes for disadvantaged children......Page 142
Conclusions......Page 152
A typology of reforms......Page 156
Overview of curricular reforms in the participating countries......Page 157
Unification of the curriculum in compulsory secondary education......Page 161
The development of flexible curricula in compulsory education......Page 162
Impact of the curricular measures on socially excluded pupils......Page 167
Conclusions......Page 170
Social expectations, social inequality and educational compensation......Page 172
Pedagogical innovations: the active and constructivist approaches......Page 176
Active schools for pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds......Page 179
Recent pedagogical innovations: an open fight against low social expectations......Page 183
Pedagogical innovations incorporated in other educational measures for disadvantaged pupils......Page 188
Conclusions......Page 189
Development of educational systems and new teaching skills......Page 192
Main lines of development in initial teacher training......Page 195
Continuing training and the promotion of social equality in education......Page 199
Conclusion......Page 202
Current trends and issues in parent-school community partnerships in the member countries......Page 208
Parents as consumers – increasing disadvantage?......Page 213
Parent-school-community initiatives for socially excluded children......Page 216
Conclusion......Page 226
11. Provision, integration and inclusion for children with special educational needs......Page 230
The nature of impairments of pupils categorised as having special educational needs......Page 231
The links between impairment and social and economic disadvantage......Page 234
The concepts of integration and inclusion......Page 235
Official policy on integration/inclusion in the member states......Page 237
Sample statistics on integration/inclusion of special needs pupils......Page 247
Conclusion......Page 251
12. Educational priority policies......Page 258
The objectives of educational priority policies......Page 259
The funding criteria of the educational priority policies......Page 264
Types of actions developed within the context of educational priority policies......Page 269
The effectiveness of the educational priority policies......Page 273
Potentialities and problems of educational priority policies: main conclusions......Page 278
13. Learning support......Page 282
Forms of learning support......Page 284
Outcomes supported......Page 288
Organisational aspects of support provision......Page 289
Evaluation......Page 293
Conclusions......Page 295
14. Alternative curricula, transition systems and second-chance provisions......Page 298
A descriptive model of measures to combat early school leaving......Page 300
Second-chance provision, alternative curricula, and transition measures in the six countries......Page 303
Summary and conclusions: second chance or different chances?......Page 316
Reality and ideology......Page 322
Equal opportunities, equal treatment, equal outcomes......Page 324
Final remarks......Page 333
Bibliography......Page 336
Flanders......Page 380
Ireland......Page 384
The Netherlands......Page 388
Portugal......Page 396
Spain......Page 403
Scotland......Page 408
Index......Page 416
