NOTICE – The Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) was established on June 1, 2024, in accordance with the Act to amend the Act respecting the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation with respect to research. The Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT), the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) have since been regrouped into the new FRQ, which continues their existence. The rights and obligations of the FRQNT, FRQS and FRQSC have become those of the FRQ; activities continue as usual.

Please note that if you come across an old name or logo of one of the Fonds de recherche du Québec in the program rules or on the website, it should now read as follows:

  • The FRQNT becomes the Nature et technologies sector;
  • The FRQS becomes the Santé sector;
  • The FRQSC becomes the Société et culture sector.

Thank you for your understanding.

Back to stories & reports
Young people re-entering the education system is a significant social phenomenon that covers a wide range of situations.

The past decade has seen a massive influx of youth into adult education programs.

The past decade has seen a massive influx of youth into adult education programs. However, 50% to 60% of people who return to school in Canada do not obtain a diploma.

Our multidisciplinary team, composed of researchers and practitioners from 4 countries (Québec, Spain, France, Belgium), undertook a research-action-training project with 3 objectives: 1. to understand the school re-entry processes of 16-20 year olds; 2. to formalize educational support practices aimed at this population; 3. to use knowledge mobilization to create a joint training space for the development, improvement and testing of multi-level concerted support practices.

We conducted a comparative study based on biographical interviews with young people who are in the process of resuming their education and most of whom come from a working-class background. At the time of dropping out, alienation from school is part of an incompatibility between different normative systems (school, family, peers). For these youth, school is a refuge for learning, growing and living that is in contrast with the family environment.

The need to develop a global approach to educational support led us to carry out studies on a number of levels. We began by formalizing the specific contribution of dropout-prevention community organizations into six main characteristics: 1) a living environment; 2) an action framework; 3) a four-stage support process; 4) multi-level forms of support; 5) innovative practices structured around the needs of the community; 6) varying degrees of autonomy and complementarity.

Main researcher

Danielle Desmarais, Université du Québec à Montréal

Summary

Research report

Call for proposals

Deposit of the research report: March 2015