General Statements and Empirical Observations
Early School Leaving (ESL) or dropping out of school is an educational issue that can be attributed to a variety of factors, such as social inequality, low financial status, the quality of cooperation and interaction between the school where students study and the family that supports them, as well as the quality of education provided by the school in terms of curriculum and teacher expertise.
A number of definitions and relevant terms have been coined to describe Early School Leaving as it is observed among students on different levels of education, attributed to a variety of reasons and factors, or approached on the basis of its duration, education level, the moment a student drops out of school etc. Generally speaking, ESL refers to the students who do not fulfil the minimum requirements for compulsory education in their country of residence. In certain cases, the same term refers to students who have not completed the course they have taken up. However, the term is also used in a broader sense as it can also refer to young men and women that have not completed their studies in the higher levels of education, i.e. it can also apply to university or college dropout rates.
