‘Tracing’ Europeanisation: School leavers’ and graduates’ information systems as an example

Abstract

This paper analyses the extent to which the process of Europeanisation can be observed within a specific policy area: that of school leaving and graduation. The paper investigates what is known about school leavers and graduates at the national and the European levels on the one hand, and how the data collections portray Europe and European policy agendas on the other. Documentary data are used along with expert interviews conducted in three national contexts about school leavers’ and graduates’ information systems (SLGIS). This paper suggests that the policy area of school leaving and graduation, and thus that of SLGIS, show some rather blurred connections to the process of Europeanisation. The paper argues that the internationalisation agenda, especially at the higher education level, could be the driving force for better comparability amongst national data on school leaving and graduation if this is deemed an important policy area.