Europe 2020 and Early School Leavers in Malta

With the second-highest rate of Early School Leaving in the EU, Malta has committed itself to addressing this challenge through holistic and urgent efforts which are clearly outlined in MEDE¿s Early School Leaving Strategy (2014) and the National Reform Programme. This publication explores the extent to which these strategies can work within the context of government policies which have evolved over the years 2010-15. Using the Budget and Budget Speech as key political documents in the content analysis, I have focused on the extent to which Government is treating Early School Leaving as a priority in Malta and addressing it appropriately. This publication is intended to serve as a means to link targets such as Europe 2020 to more concrete current issues such as Early School Leaving, to provoke wider thought on solutions to overcome economic and social limitations.