Stumbling before the start

Original title: Gestruikeld voor de start.

Reducing school dropout rates is high on the education policy agenda in the Netherlands. Too many young people are leaving school without an initial qualification, and in response the government has set itself the target of halving the number of premature school-leavers within ten years.
This study looks at what progress has been made in achieving this objective and identifies the obstacles on the various routes to obtaining a school-leaving qualification. It also provides an overview of the backgrounds of premature school-leavers. The performance of the Dutch education system in reducing school dropout and in the achievement of a school-leaving qualification is also compared with other countries in the European Union.