One out of eight pupils quit upper secondary studies due to sickness

Over half regretted not having completed upper secondary studies
About 55 percent, women to a somewhat greater extent than men, regretted not having finished upper secondary school when looking at their current situation. Two out of three persons with foreign background regretted quitting school.

Every fourth person who did not complete upper secondary school quit during their first year, while nearly 6 out of 10 did so in their third year. Women had fewer points than men. Over half of those pupils who began in individual programmes but quit did so during their first year.

Half were absent without permission from lessons in some subjects and 20 percent were absent without permission in all or nearly all subjects before they quit upper secondary studies. The differences between the sexes are insignificant.

More support from school staff could have resulted in 40 percent more pupils completing studies
More support from teachers or other school staff could have resulted in completion of studies for nearly half the women and one in three men. More practical experience in education could have also been encouraging for nearly 4 out of 10 to finish studies for women and men alike.

One in five were already employed when they quit their studies
One in five, regardless of sex, were already employed when they quit upper secondary school. Nearly 30 percent of the men and 25 percent of the women had been unemployed at some point since they quit their studies. Of those who quit during their first year, 15 percent had been unemployed for more than 3 years.

Half of the women and nearly 70 percent of the men had work as main activity when the survey was done in spring 2007. Nearly one in five women and men were unemployed or participated in employment policy actions. 20 percent of the women and 10 percent of the men were studying.

7 out of 10 were optimistic about the future for their own part
About 70 percent were fairly or very optimistic about the future for their own part, women and men roughly to the same extent. Less then every tenth was fairly or very pessimistic.

Among those pupils who began in individual programmes but quit, 40 percent thought that they had fairly or very hard to get a job.

Half as large have done the military service among men who did not completed upper secondary studies compared with men who completed the studies
16 percent of the men who did not completed the upper secondary school have done the military service. Among the men who completed the studies, the share was 34 percent.

17 percent of the women who did not completed the upper secondary school have been on parental leave. Among the women who completed the studies, the share was 2 percent.