Vom Konflikt zum Wachstum: Strategien zur Unterstützung von Schülern und zur Verringerung des Schulabbruchs

Today, it is more important than ever to work on factors that can help prevent and manage Early School Leaving and conflicts. This is the goal of this training course, a topic that becomes increasingly crucial every day, even though there are no simple solutions. With a holistic approach in mind, participants will learn to identify the causes of this phenomenon and explore the most effective strategies to prevent, address, and reduce it, as well as the key principles of conflict management.

The new edition of the course “Preventing conflicts and tackling Early School Leaving​” took place in Teneriffa von 22/02/2026 to 28/02/2026. The participants came from all across Europe, with Martin from Viskastrandsgymnasiet in Sweden; Nina from International School of Vantaa in Finland; Frank from Cals College IJsselstein in The Netherlands; Oriana, Giovanna and Angela from CPIA “A. MANZI” in Italien.

Early School Leaving is a widespread challenge across Europe, and being in a European context allowed participants to explore different national perspectives. On the first day, they focused on defining what Early School Leaving means and identifying its main risk factors. This helped participants create and share a realistic picture of their school experiences with Early School Leaving, from underlying causes to potential consequences.

We began with the assumption that, to effectively address Early School Leaving, educators must deeply connect with students, understanding their interests and emotions. Participants engaged in hands-on activities to learn the importance of active listening and emotional intelligence in building meaningful social connections.

Next, participants explored conflict management. Initially, they took time for a perspective shift. Through an inspirational TED Talk, the group—who had initially seen conflict as inherently negative—realized how conflicts can offer unique opportunities to strengthen relationships, communication, and understanding.

The group then engaged in non-formal activities to reflect on the importance of membership and collaboration. Strategies for collaborative work and peer education were analyzed in depth. Participants also explored ways to counter negativity in the classroom through group reflection and practical exercises. They examined different conflict management styles and discussed their application in real-life situations. The group identified common “challenging” student types and developed practical strategies to handle them effectively. A team challenge allowed participants to practice fostering a growth mindset in students.

Finally, through visual exercises and group reflection, the phenomenon of bullying was analyzed, and strategies for becoming active upstanders were explored.

The key theme of this week-long course was “transformation”: learning to shift perspectives on conflict, turn strong or negative student energy into something productive, move from a fixed to a growth mindset, and transform a group of individuals into a cohesive team.

Entdecken Sie mehr über diesen Kurs hier.