Personal or family problems, disengagement with learning, or unstable household socio‑economic situations are among the many reasons for young people to drop out of education and training early. In this context, EU countries committed in 2011 to reducing the share of early school-leavers in their countries to less than 10% by 2020. In Latvia, the Tackling Early School Leaving project (PuMPuRS) was introduced in 2017 and involves collaboration between education institutions, municipalities, and youth-sector organisations to identify young people at risk of drop-out and to provide them with personalised support.
Tackling Early School Leaving project – Latvia
Abstract
Description
Copy link to DescriptionThe PuMPuRS targets students from primary education to upper secondary education (Grades 5‑12), as well as those in vocational upper and post-secondary education who are identified as at risk of early school leaving. Teachers are responsible for the development of individualised support for at-risk students. Further support includes consultations with municipal specialists to address risk factors, as well as financial support to meet the students’ needs. Support for teachers and educational institutions includes seminars and workshops, supervision, and methodological tools on how to better support at-risk students. The project also provides funding at the municipal-level to youth-sector organisations aimed at supporting the motivation of at-risk students to attend school. A joint database across state, municipal, and institutional levels supports the regular exchange of information on preventative measures and their impact.
During school closures in 2020, amid the COVID‑19 pandemic, the PuMPuRS remained operational, offering remote counselling and financial support for at-risk students. Since then, the project has increased its support for teachers and professionals working with students whose families suffered the most during the pandemic. Such measures include workshops for teams within municipalities and seminars in educational institutions. Between 2017 and 2021, over 63 000 students identified as being at risk of early school leaving have received individual support.
Outcomes
Copy link to OutcomesAn evaluation from 2019 found positive impacts of the project on learners at-risk of early school leaving. The support activities resulted in improvements on multiple dimensions, such as learners’ achievements, well-being, relationships with teachers and attitudes towards learning, with the impact assessment highlighting the individual support approach as a key success factor. Moreover, group discussions, interviews and surveys conducted also provide evidence of strengthening the capacity of staff to support students, as well as the co‑operation between different stakeholders. Training opportunities helped staff engage with the joint database for exchanging information about effective strategies for reducing early school leaving and supported effective co‑operation between local stakeholders.
The evaluation also pointed out some relevant challenges, namely in identifying, monitoring, and addressing non-academic risk factors of early school leaving such as scarcity of human resources (teachers and support staff), as well as difficulties in reaching learners with low motivation. By 2022, the share of early leavers from education and training (18‑to‑24 -year-olds) was 6.7% in Latvia, down from 12.9% in 2010 and well below the EU average of 9.6%.
This practice also supports the implementation of provision II.8 and IV.3 of the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People (OECD, 2022[1]).
Further reading
[2] Dynamic University (2019), Evaluation of the European Social Fund Project No 8.3.4.0/16/I/001 “Support for Reducing Early School Leaving”, http://www.pumpurs.lv/sites/default/files/2020-06/IKVD_Pumpurs_Petijums_GALA_ZINOJUMS_29_06_2020.pdf.
[3] Latvian Ministry of Education and Science (2021), Projekta PuMPuRS īstenotie atbalsta pasākumi 2021. gadā [Support measures implemented by the PuMPuRS project in 2021], http://www.pumpurs.lv/lv/projekta-pumpurs-istenotie-atbalsta-pasakumi-2021-gada.
[5] OECD (2022), Education Policy Outlook 2022: Transforming Pathways for Lifelong Learners, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/c77c7a97-en.
[1] OECD (2022), Recommendation of the Council on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People, https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0474.
[4] OECD (2021), Education Policy Outlook 2021: Responsive and Resilient Education in a Changing World, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/75e40a16-en.
[6] PuMPuRs (2020), The PuMPuRS project expands the support provided during the emergency situation (Projekts PuMPuRS paplašina sniegtā atbalsta iespējas ārkārtējās situācijas laikā), http://www.pumpurs.lv/lv/projekts-pumpurs-paplasina-sniegta-atbalsta-iespejas-arkartejas-situacijas-laika.
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