Why vulnerable early school leavers return to and re-engage with education: push and pull reasons underlying their decision

Abstract

Students who leave school early is an issue of global concern, and various measures have been taken to help early leavers return to school, including second chance education programmes. This qualitative case study explores their reasons for continuing education in a second chance education programme in a successful educational centre located in Ceuta, a unique Spanish city. Our findings indicate that there is a complex interplay of educational, family and economical aspects pushing and pulling the participants to resume education, but that their beliefs on these factors and their agency are key in this process. These findings can contribute to prevent disengagement and leaving from education and training in the future by informing the measures for educational reintegration.