ETUCE practical guidelines on how to prevent early school leaving through the use of ICT in education

Specific guidelines are provided according to the target group of the recommendations presented:

• Practical guidelines at European policy level: providing recommendations at EU level. e.g.
  • Initiate and continue a dialogue between European education stakeholders, with an important role to be held by social partners in education, on how to reduce the current barriers to the systematic adoption of new teaching methods.
  • Create a virtual community of best practices, based on social and participatory media.
  • Develop and evaluate new pedagogical methods, and exchange and share experience and methods to reduce early school leaving.
  • Ensure that early school leaving is put on the agenda of the national social dialogue with education employers, to discuss about the reintegration of drop-outs and students at risk of early school leaving.
  • Take into account the cultural and social background of students and produce attractive teaching material, for instance, adapted to adults who have not completed secondary education.
  • Make efforts to form school-enterprise partnerships, with a view to improve the attractiveness of vocational education and training and strengthen labour market relevance on the one hand, and build a link to work-based training on the other hand.
  • Support teachers’ continuous training.
  • Get involved in the discussion on the need for a curriculum change to include ICT, and its assessment, and promotes student-centred education.
  • Promote the combination of more flexible education systems that offer various avenues and curricula of different duration, with counselling and guidance to provide second and third chances to students.
• Practical guidelines at national and regional level: providing recommendations for teacher unions. E.g. achieve better teaching conditions for education staff and learning conditions for students, to allow for diverse pedagogic practices that address the individual needs of the students, in particular as regards the use of ICT, and obtain the reduction of early school leaving.
• Practical guidelines at school and local level: providing recommendations to teacher unions, school boards and other actors at school level, for example:
  • Discuss among staff, school leadership and students, how to use ICT in education to make a difference in teaching, motivating students and improving the quality of education, in order to benefit both staff and students.
  • Inspire the sharing of educational resources and experience, both between authorities and schools, as well as amongst schools and teachers.
  • Support teachers in acquiring a competence development plan including ICT, reassure them to learn from trial and errors, and secure funding for the plan.
  • Promote the positive use of ICT and the image of internet in education, and teach a        responsible/respectful use of ICT in schools.
  • Encourage teacher training institutions to include approaches related to early school leaving within their curricula.