School dropouts on the rise

Austrian School officials say that across-the-board there is an increase in the number of pupils dropping out of further and higher education – and that of the dropouts there are more boys than girls.

In general girls also perform better on the same assignments at school than boys, according to the latest research just published.

Salzburg-based school expert Franz Hoffmann from the Institute of Educational Studies said: “In general girls get better results than boys. In some subjects because of the correct way that they approach studies they are favoured in the marking by teachers. That obviously has an impact on the decision by some to leave school and might be one more for why boys drop out.”

Performance was particularly bad among youngsters that had to repeat a year. Of these only one in four managed to get their graduation papers (matura).

The study also found that a possible reason for the increase in the number of dropouts was the increase in the number of foreigners studying in the country – who might then leave early if they had to travel back to their home countries for example with their parents or for other reasons.