Education of youngsters with special needs

Abstract

The article deals with the severe problem of an increasing number of youngsters who drop out of school during adolescence. 1993 the government decided that 95 % of all youngsters should f inish an education (gymnasium, technical gymnasium or identical educations) – due to the global competition and decisions within the EU. To day a little more than 80%are fulf illing their obligation to the state. This means that around one out of five (foremost young men) does not succeed. An answer to that problem has been to increase the possibilities of «other ways to reach an identical goal». The research project – carried out 1999–2005 – has aimed at f inding out the ways in which such «other ways» are created and institutionalized. The research had resulted in showing many different ways, underlining a common feature: the empathy of the organisations and schools towards the young people’s needs, authentic adults as role models, praxis-oriented working forms and praxis-oriented instruction in classes and shops, strong personal relations between every young person and his/her personal mentor at the school as well as at the factory/working place, and last but not least a severe and goal directed efforts to gap the bridge between «second chance schools» and usual working places.