UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE

Keeping an eye on Absence and Dropout Rate makes it possible to find out the reasons for absences and dropouts and do something about them. Due to a variety of factors, refugees have a higher risk of dropping out than “native learners”. Although many reasons for absences and dropouts are influenced by external factors, measures can be taken on the institutional level to improve completion rates of refugee students.
It is critical for educational institutions to know their absence and dropout rates, in order to be able to react to it. High absence rates can be a warning signal for an imminent dropout, and dropout rates can be a sign for individual as well as institutional or structural issues. Due to a variety of factors, refugees have a higher risk of dropping out than “native learners”. Although many reasons for absences and dropouts are influenced by external factors, measures can be taken on the institutional level to improve completion rates of refugee students.

Legal reasons and policies (e.g., had to leave to region/country), Personal factors (e.g., psychological problems and trauma, IF THE RESPONSE IS Legal reasons and policies (e.g., had to leave to region/country):
Legal restrictions (e.g., for asylum seekers), work discrimination and structural barriers limit the possibility of choosing the desired school or training. Thus, refugees often take what’s offered and start a VET program they initially don’t want to enter. Furthermore, legal problems especially concerning the residence status are a very common threat for the education of refugee learners. It could be helpful to organise legal support (e.g. by NGOs offering this) for the learners to prevent high absences and dropouts.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Personal factors (e.g., psychological problems and trauma, financial issues, uncertain or inappropriate housing, …):
Personal problems can be a big barrier for sufficient mastery of VET of vulnerable groups such as refugees. During VET, refugee learners are simultaneously coping with various migration pressures and resettlement stresses. Refugees are often confronted with trauma, family separation, discrimination due to the interaction of gender, ethnicity, age, etc. and uncertain financial and housing conditions. Difficult transport conditions to the school and training institution as well as obliged interaction with authorities and controls might lead to a high absence in school and VET programmes. Gaps in schooling and missing language skills increase the possibility of dropping out.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Lack of prior education or language skills:
Gaps in schooling and missing language skills increase the possibility of dropping out of VET programmes. Furthermore, refugees feel disempowered and highly encouraged when their prior qualifications and educational achievements are not recognized in the host country and the VET program.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Negative school/company culture (bullying, violence, lack of care, flawed structures, etc.):
Negative school and company climates are another reason for a high absence and dropout rates. Through ideological conditions like negative stereotypes, racism and discrimination, linguistic barriers as well as the presence of cliques, refugees may experience social isolation and alienation.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Wrong composition of class:
In VET schools and courses the composition of class is an important dropout factor. In ‘refugee classes’ or groups with large proportions of ethnic minorities the average educational performances and language skills of students are lower than in mixed classes. Moreover in these classes students have access to fewer cultural resources from their peers as most of them are from a lower social background which increases the risk of leaving the school or course early.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Negative teacher-student relations:
Absence and dropout rates of refugee learners are in part a result of a lack of the necessary educational resources, time and capacity for everyone. Especially a too high teacher-student ratio leads to the result that the individual needs of the learners cannot be adequately met. This is to the disadvantage of vulnerable learners. This is at the expense of learners who do not speak the language well or coping with various migration pressures and resettlement stresses.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Curriculum not suitable for needs of refugees:
Especially in training for refugees, clear added value can be achieved with a flexible curriculum design. For the target group of refugees, it can be important to be able to easily improve the curriculum without too heavily bureaucratic processes. It should be taken into account that refugee students often have different practical and theoretical competences in specific areas they learned and gained in their countries of origin. Here, a modular curriculum can be helpful to recognise existing competences in the form of certificates.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Lack of individual support for refugees:
Since refugees are usually confronted with many personal and legal challenges, individual support is necessary. Targeted support personalized for the learner’s needs such as psychotherapy, counselling by a social worker for financial and housing issues, legal advice and personal support by a “buddy” can be of huge advantage to avoid absences and dropouts of VET. 

IF THE RESPONSE IS Missing matching of prior qualifications and level of VET program:
A key factor to reduce absence and dropout rates of VET programmes is the matching of refugee’s skills, interests and aspirations with the requirements and tasks of the VET program. This requires a careful assessment and selection of suitable learners for the program.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Lack of knowledge about VET program:
Lacking information about the VET system of the host country, potential possibilities of VET programmes as well as requirements of the labour market in combination with a difficult financial situation and low income during the education and training lead to a high absence rate and voluntary dropping out when refugees get a better paid job offer. While sustainable long term employment is a goal of every VET program, it is important to inform learners about the consequences of a voluntary dropout of VET and a fast entrance into the labour market without proper qualifications.

IF THE RESPONSE IS High absence rate:
Practical competences are only learnt if the VET program is attended regularly and a high absence rate can lead to a non-permission to the final examination. Furthermore, high absence rates can be a warning signal for upcoming dropouts of refugee learners. It is therefore important to keep an eye on the current absence rates in order to be able to react adequately to imminent drop outs.

IF THE RESPONSES IS Employment/Have found a job:
Lacking information about the VET system of the host country, potential possibilities of VET programmes as well as requirements of the labour market in combination with a difficult financial situation and low income during the education and training lead to a high absence rate and voluntary dropping out when refugees get a better paid job offer. While sustainable long term employment is a goal of every VET program, it is important to inform learners about the consequences of a voluntary dropout of VET and a fast entrance into the labour market without proper qualifications.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Individualized support for refugees concerning personal problems (legal, psychological etc.):
Refugees might struggle with personal and psychosocial problems, which can be reasons for non-completion of VET programmes. A personalized and individualized support of refugee learners can be very useful to enable successful learning. VET providers, therefore, should identify contact persons and resource persons in other organisations and systems that can help refugees manage challenges that impede their full participation in vocational education. It is therefore necessary to include support systems and coordination with institutions like NGOs, social workers, language schools, in order to enable successful learning of refugees.
 
IF THE RESPONSE IS Special training for trainers:
Supportive teachers and trainers who are familiar with the challenges commonly experienced by refugees are important to reduce absence and dropout rates. This requires the development of teachers’ and trainers’ intercultural competence to support learners and apprentices across origins and cultural backgrounds. To foster intercultural competence and sensitivity, teachers need professional development in the domain of intercultural education, for example, through formal training in diversity, intercultural pedagogy and language training. 

IF THE RESPONSE IS Inclusive school/workplace culture:
A positive, welcoming culture and an inclusive ethos in the school or organization, reflection of diversity in the program-curriculum and sensitivity to global events that impact refugee youth can be viewed as key protective factors that enhance the likelihood of VET program completion.
 
IF THE RESPONSE IS Flexible prevention and support system:
Flexible prevention and support system to prevent refugees from dropping out include identifying individuals at risk of dropping out by evaluating students’ strengths and weaknesses that are considered important in the learning environment to assess what type of support is most suitable as well as providing suitable support within various communities based on individual needs.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Composition of class:
A mixed composition of class with a well-balanced share of ‘native’ youth and refugees or youth of ethnic minorities is an important factor to reduce absences and dropouts. Heterogeneous groups increase the possibility that ‘weaker’ learners can be stimulated by and learn from stronger ones.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Language learning:
Learning the language of the host country is vital to refugees’ integration process, their learning in VET and their subsequent access to employment. Proper schooling concerning linguistics to reduce linguistic barriers and social integration with native speakers in order to enhance language learning decrease the probability of absences and dropouts of the VET program.

IF THE RESPONSE IS Continuous feedback:
Teachers’ continuous feedback is important for refugees’ success in education. The learning cultures of host countries are foreign to refugees, and they often find it difficult to understand the requirements and standards of education and training. Continuous feedback makes not only refugees aware of their learning progress, but also supports them in developing learning strategies and enhances a trustful relationship between teachers and learners, which are beneficial to refugees’ sense of belonging and reduce the risk of absenteeism and dropout.