Early School Leaving in Greece and Europe and Educational Inequality: Actions and Policies against Educational and Social Exclusion

A key issue regarding the educational policy in Greece and the European Union is the early leaving of the school. On the one hand, rises the problem of under-birth that some developed countries face and, on the other, the existence of economically and socially non-productive people, who nevertheless consist a part of the society. In our time and more than ever, society must overcome various obstacles in order to achieve the development and sustainable growth which is also Europe’s strategy for this decade. In the this study the authors examine early school drop-out by focusing on the social causes and on the research findings that have been carried out, indicating measures and strategies for prevention and treatment. A second part of the study concerns the presentation of the European Union's educational policies in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, with the aim of showing the progress of the strategic actions in the education of Greece. Our study shows that the EU member states are making great efforts in order to achieve the best possible result in education in the shortest possible time: That is, to form efficient teachers and schools by emphasizing and empowering the elimination of social and educational exclusions, as an integral part of the pursuit of progress and development of the society and the economy.