The Region of Alsace (FR) published the report of the “Euroopean and interregional Conference on school dropout” that took place on 20 January 2015 in Strasbourg.

Lilla Mérabet, Vice president of the Regional Council of Alsace in charge of youth, stressed the responsibility of Region Alsace when it comes to young people who have dropped off the radar and said that she and Laurent Duez have tried to find solutions, in particular to “re-enter” into the system those who are left without solutions. She would like them to feel the desire to re-enter a constructive dynamic that may correspond to them, without considering going back to traditional schooling, where possible.

She made the observation that many of the methods and approaches used up to 2010 have been unsuccessful. Also, a new approach has to be invented and this requires the support of all actors in the fields of education and social actions involving youth. It also requires time. Time to imagine and design, but also to define the relevant terms of the approach and management to ultimately act as an interface with young people, get them to “re-enter” and allow a new dynamic to develop.

Lilla Mérabet also stressed the importance of letting each province prepare its own methods and experiment with innovative solutions outside the traditional institutional options. She also said that the role of Region Alsace is not to assess the understanding of the methods, but to be supportive along the way.

Read the report
More information about the conference (in French)