Excellence and Equity for All? An Investigation into the Contributing Factors to Early School Leaving and Youth Unemployment, Contextualised via Scotland’s School Leavers’ Outcomes

Abstract

This paper explores the contributing factors associated with secondary-school-aged young people leaving school before or immediately after they reach the end of compulsory schooling. The paper also considers the relationship between leaving school at this point and transitioning to unemployment, identifying key overlapping thematic concerns. Additionally, the paper considers the impact of education policies designed to mitigate some of these risk factors and ensure equitable experiences and outcomes for learners in Scotland. Whilst there have been changes in post-school transition outcomes for Scottish school leavers during the identified policy lifespan (2009-2023), this paper points to a continued correlation between leaving school early and poorer overall outcomes for those young people in Scotland.