During the last week of May, the Head of College Network together with both MRC Secondary Heads, a Deputy Head, a Guidance teacher and the EO Curriculum attended an Erasmus+ course Preventing Early School Leaving: Strategies and Tools in Copenhagen, Denmark. This course addressed the issue of school dropout and indicated general strategies as well as specific solutions tailored to the participants’ educational organisations.
Together with participants from other countries, mainly Germany, Italy, Sicily, Cyprus and Portugal, discussions were held on what schools can do to prevent ELET. The design of school culture and teacher-student relationships are crucial elements. Students should feel safe and secure. In fact, data shows that the most significant predictor of student dropout is the teachers’ support. Educators must engage their students to limit the risk of early school leaving.
The course also introduced participants to the principles of positive psychology, to reinforce the personal strengths of students at risk of dropping out. This helps teachers in promoting students’ self-esteem, assertiveness, positive vision of themselves and have a personal future vision.
On the last day the team had the opportunity to identify the needs and problems of our school communities (SCOT analysis) and devised a plan about a future vision to reduce ELET in MRC schools, focusing on the causes, the wellbeing of staff and students, engaging students and the whole community in practical activities and the possibilities for intervention to prevent school drop-out. The idea is to build strong bonds of trust with both students and their parents’ and in assisting students in becoming masters of their own learning by inspiring, directing and providing ongoing assistance.
