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In the context of the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Ayuda en Acción wants to draw attention to the failures of the education system that perpetuate inequalities among youth. A recent report prepared by the organization, focused on educational and labor transitions, highlights the shortcomings of a system that has proven to be insufficient to respond to the diverse needs of students, limiting the development and potential of millions of young people.
The report states that the figures for early school leaving and school failure are related to the “problems of a rigid structure of the education system, which does not recognize different paths to success and is not adapted to the diversity of qualities, needs and interests of the student body”. In addition, the Director of Ayuda en Acción's European Programs, Matías Figueroa, emphasizes that the study recognizes “socioeconomic origin as a decisive factor that conditions school progression and the academic trajectory of students”.
Transitions, turning points in young people's future
The report focuses on analyzing the educational and labor transitions of young people in Spain, with special attention to those from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds. There are three important transitions: from the family environment to the educational system, changes within the educational system, and the transition from education to the world of work. The importance of analyzing them lies in the fact that they are key moments of vulnerability, where social and educational inequalities become evident and can condition future trajectories.
During these phases, many students, in the absence of adequate guidance and adapted educational options, are doomed to failure or dropout, so transitions are decisive. “Young people with higher levels of education have higher employment rates, obtain more stable jobs, with higher salary levels and greater possibilities for promotion,” the study points out.
The impact of socioeconomic background
According to the latest data from the Ministry of Education 2024, the early school leaving rate in Spain stood at 13.6%, a figure that improves on the data of the last decade, but continues to be worrying and places the country four points above the European average. This phenomenon is particularly acute among youth from lower-income households, where 26% drop out of education early, compared to only 5% in higher-income households. “These data underscore the strong correlation between socioeconomic status and educational opportunities, perpetuating a cycle of inequality that the current educational system has failed to break”, Figueroa says.
This structural inequality translates into significantly limited access to quality educational opportunities, which in turn has a negative impact on the possibilities of these youth to access stable and well-paid jobs.
In addition, the group with the greatest difficulties in developing an employment path is the one that leaves the educational system in CSE (Compulsory Secondary Education), given that obtaining a diploma at this level or in an intermediate level training cycle is the way to achieve adequate labor market insertion. Socioeconomic vulnerability is key in this process: the probability of a young person in a situation of severe vulnerability obtaining one of the two degrees (19%) after leaving CSE is 14 points lower than the probability of a non-vulnerable young person obtaining it (33%).
Career prospects
In terms of employment, it has been found that the employment transitions of young people who leave CSE without obtaining the diploma are more precarious, both in the short and medium term, than those of young people with intermediate or higher level training. Thus, the quality of the jobs they access, as well as the time they have worked since leaving the educational system or the salary obtained, are significantly lower for those who do not have the CSE diploma than for those who have a diploma. In addition, the analysis shows that, for those who left the education system without the CSE diploma, the precariousness of labor transitions is greater in the case of those belonging to a vulnerable population.
The report also notes that young people from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds face a “comparative disadvantage” when entering the labor market. This is mainly due to generally low educational levels, lack of personal skills and transversal competencies derived from early school leaving and social prejudices associated with their vulnerable situation.
Proposals for a more inclusive and equitable educational future
Faced with these challenges and following the results of the report, Ayuda en Acción proposes a series of measures to achieve an educational environment and system that truly addresses diversity and promotes equity. Among the main proposals, included in the report, are:
- Early detection of educational difficulties and greater educational reinforcement to reduce early dropout.
- Diversification and flexibilization of the CSE curriculum to introduce a more flexible and diversified curriculum from the first stages of education. This would allow personalized programs that are aligned with the interests and abilities of the students, thus reducing repetition and dropout rates.
- Strengthening educational and employment guidance, especially at times of transition, so that students are aware of all the existing possibilities, as well as the employment advantages associated with these educational levels.
- Review and adaptation of educational policies to address structural inequalities in the system. This includes ongoing evaluation of current initiatives and implementation of new strategies to close the gap between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
An opportunity for change
The start of the new school year should be seen as an opportunity to rethink this change in the education system. "The data in the report are clear: without major reforms, the system will continue to fail part of the youth, perpetuating a cycle of inequality that our society cannot afford. It is time to act, to devise an education that truly caters to diversity and offers everyone, regardless of their origin, the necessary tools to build a better future”, Figueroa says.
The organization has experience in creating opportunities for young people in vulnerable situations to access the labor market. The organization is currently working on the Impulsa program in different communities in Spain, where it guides young people to discover their vocation and skills and thus strengthen their life projects. In this way, it promotes training and employability of young people through professional accompaniment and the provision of tools.
