Workshops to constrast school leavers. Risults of a project in the schools of Mantua

Abstract

This article shows results of a pilot study carried out during school year
2013-2014 to contrast school leaving in Mantua, in the Lombardy region. In
line with Europe 2020 objectives, the aim was to experiment new methodologies
able to reduce the phenomenon of school leaving during grade IV
of high school. Although with different modalities, in three institutes of
Mantua work experience and contemporaneous weekly boundary crossing
workshops were provided. In the workshops participated the selected students,
teachers and representatives of industry. Over the workshops the
groups discussed the issues students were having between school and
work and topics concerning entrepreneurship. Results show improvements
in the indicators chosen to represent the students’ intention to continue
their studies, but with substantial differences according to the setting. However,
a common worry emerging from this research is that half of the students
declared that they have at least one teacher that they cannot stand.