This research summary was developed by Pathways to Education.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS RESEARCH SUMMARY:

In this study, French researchers sought to better understand why youth leave school early. By interviewing a large sample of early school leavers at a collegiate-level academy south of Paris, the authors created a typology of students who do not complete high school. The five student “types” developed through this research help to better understand the challenges that many students face and the motives behind their decisions not to complete high school.

The authors find that while some students are influenced by outside forces, such as the appeal of joining the labour force, the vast majority of students who leave early do so because of academic or social difficulties within their school.