Equal opportunities? More than mere access: narratives of young people with trajectories in failure and early leaving from education in Spain and Portugal

Abstract

La equidad e igualdad de oportunidades en educacion son objetivos presentes en los marcos legislativos de los paises de la Union Europea. Uno de los indicadores utilizados por excelencia para garantizar el cumplimiento de estos objetivos es el Abandono Educativo Temprano (AET). En los ultimos anos el nivel de abandono ha disminuido en paises como Espana y Portugal, escenarios de nuestro estudio. Sin embargo, debido a la complejidad de los procesos de abandono, no podemos atribuirlo a una unica causa. Nuestro interes es analizarlo desde la experiencia escolar: como se vive el AET y como se piensa una escuela que garantice el exito de todos-as. Para ello, recogemos la perspectiva de los jovenes que lo protagonizan, a traves de historias de vida, entrevistas en profundidad y grupos focales. En la narrativa de los estudiantes sobre su etapa de escolaridad, las practicas de atencion a la diversidad quedan traducidas a vivencias de exclusion. En la escuela masificada el fracaso escolar y la segregacion son formas frecuentes de respuesta a la diversidad. Los recursos y las condiciones de aprendizaje continuan marcados por deficiencias, particularmente entre quienes estan en situaciones de mayor vulnerabilidad social. El nivel teorico donde se mueve la regulacion del sistema educativo trata de favorecer la capacidad y motivacion por aprender. Sin embargo, la practica se ve impulsada por otras inercias que explican lo que ocurre en las escuelas desde la logica de la acumulacion y competencia, dejando a un lado el compromiso por la equidad. ABSTRACTEquity and equal opportunities in education are objectives present in the legislative frameworks of the countries of the European Union. One of the indicators used par excellence to guarantee the fulfillment of these objectives is the Early Leaving from Education and Training (ELET). In recent years the level of abandonment has decreased in countries such as Spain and Portugal, scenarios of our study. However, due to the complexity of abandonment processes, we cannot attribute it to a single cause. Our interest is to analyze it from the school experience: how the ESL is lived and how a school is thought to guarantee the success of all. To do this, we gather the perspective of the young people who star in it, through life stories, in-depth interviews and focus groups. In the narrative of the students about their stage of schooling, the practices of attention to diversity are translated into experiences of exclusion. In the mass school, school failure and segregation are frequent forms of response to diversity. Resources and learning conditions continue to be marked by deficiencies, particularly among those in situations of greater social vulnerability. The theoretical level where the regulation of the educational system moves tries to favor the capacity and motivation to learn. However, the practice is driven by other inertia that explain what happens in schools from the logic of accumulation and competition, leaving aside the commitment to equity.KEY WORDS: Early Leaving from Education and Training, equal educational opportunities, educational policy, narratives.