PACT: combatting early school leaving with holistic approaches

Some European urban communities can be characterised by unstable demographic development, social tensions among ethnic groups, and public services under challenge due to limited economic funds and fast changing public needs. Research shows how these factors influence everyday wellbeing for families, and this has a proven impact on the learning situations for children and increases the risk of early school leaving.  

Community-based efforts can create inclusive models for schools and communities to combat school dropout rates. The inspiration behind the  Partnership Achieving Communities Tackling early school leaving (PACT) project was to develop holistic methods for increasing pupils’ wellbeing and motivation to prevent early school leaving. The chosen approach addresses the needs of students holistically (their emotional, physical, cognitive and social needs), and recognises their individual talents and voices.  

One of its programmes, Mentoring Urban Talent, was a peer-to-peer mentoring programme in Rotterdam that aimed at mentoring talented secondary school pupils who are of a migrant background and from low social-economic status environments by using student mentors to strengthen their social and cultural capital.