Three papers from the Horizon Europe Project 'SCIREARLY: Reducing Early School Leaving (ESL) and Underachievement' were presented as part of a symposium at the BERA Conference and WERA Focal Meeting in Manchester last week (8 - 12 September 2024) in Manchester, UK.

This symposium aimed to explore ways in which educational possibilities can be expanded for all students by effectively preventing and reducing early school dropout and underachievement. The SCIREARLY project findings offered a multidimensional methodological approach - systematic review, scoping review and policy analysis - to dig into the social determinants of ESL, to explore the role of early childhood education in preventing these challenges, and to map the range of policy practices that prove to be effective in minimising early school dropout. The session brought together evidence from ten European countries: Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, England, Italy, Greece, Malta and Belgium- across three papers.

Dr Rosienne Camilleri, member of the Department of Early Childhood and Primary Education, Faculty of Education at UM, presented the first paper highlighting key findings of an extensive systematic literature review on social determinants of ESL and underachievement.

Prof. Suzanne Gatt and Dr Charmaine Bonello, from the same Department, also form part of the Horizon SCIREARLY project which continues to explore strategies to combat ESL and reduce underachievement for school-aged students across Europe.

Further information about the Horizon project is available online.