Recipes for Systemic Change - Helsinki Design Lab

D3 – The Dropouts60%50%40%30%20%10%0%| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |MaleFemaleEU-27 countriesCroatiaCzech RepublicSloveniaPolandSlovakiaSwitzerlandLithuaniaFinlandAustriaSwedenHungaryGermanyBelgiumNetherlandsIrelandFranceBulgariaDenmarkLuxembourgRomaniaUnited KingdomMacedoniaGreeceCyprusLatviaEstoniaNorwayItalyIcelandSpainTurkeyMaltaPortugalSourceEuroStat.Data forEstonianfemales notavailable.Percentage of the population aged 18-24 with at most a lower secondaryeducation and not currently in further educational training in 2007.The perils of early discontinuation in education are usually argued froman economic, social or public health perspective. It is important to try andidentify who the dropouts are, how many there are, and at what stage theyleave education. A large portion elects to discontinue their education aftercompleting a degree and before starting a next one while another portiondrops out of education mid-stream. Dropouts are best understood againstthe backdrop of a changing economic and social landscape within Finland.Some of the data begins to reveal inequalities and discrepancies withinFinnish education. These inequalities point to conditions latent within thesystem that contribute to early discontinuation.It may be important to consider why a dropout bias persists in Finlandand to ask if it really is necessary for all Finnish students to pursue highereducation or even to complete formal secondary education. Might therebe room to consider alternative, non-traditional paths for young people tobecome active participants in the Finnish labour market and in Finnishsociety?D3.1 DiscontinuationDropouts fall into two sub-categories: Those who opt not to continueto the next level of education and those who leave school before completingtheir degree or qualifications.169