Highest number of unqualified dropouts in 10 years

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The number of teenagers leaving school without qualifications has reached the highest level in a decade, Education Minister Robert Deichgraf told parliament.

According to figures compiled for the ministry, 30,000 people will drop out of school without a diploma in the 2020-21 school year, 5,000 more than the previous year, with an overwhelming majority in the vocational MBO stream.

Dyckgraf said society “cannot allow” large numbers of dropouts to drop out without qualifications.

“Ultimately, education and basic qualifications give people a foothold in life and a future that gives them more opportunities,” Dyckgraf wrote in a letter to parliamentarians. The government has set a goal of reducing ineligible dropouts to 18,000 by 2026.

Dijkgraf said some students were discouraged during the coronavirus pandemic, while others were lured by generous wages in a tight labor market to give up their studies and get a job. selected.

Adnan Tekin, chairman of the MBO council, which represents vocational schools, said he was concerned about the high dropout rate. “A lack of a labor market and major financial problems can make it attractive for young people to quit school and seek full-time jobs,” he told his NOS Radio 1 Journalaal.

“It’s a short-term solution, but if you don’t have a diploma and get a job elsewhere in the labor market, it might get you the door open first.”