Abstract

School abandonment (SA) is a complex process marked by inequality and exclusion and suffered by those who do not comply with learning expectations. Youth and adult education (YAE) takes in these people; however, this work is invisible, making it difficult to provide solutions and responses to the many challenges they face. In this regard, we find two countries that have lowered their SA figures, but do not have the political and economic recognition to support this work. In these settings, teachers could play a key role in reversing this phenomenon. The objective of this article is to understand meanings that YAE teachers in Chile and Spain hold about SA in order to elucidate approaches for action. Using a qualitative methodology and multiple case study, 25 interviews with YAE teachers were analyzed. Results from a systemic reading of SA indicates that when educational systems abandon students, a specific teacher group also suffers from SA and faces the phenomenon through bonding and accompaniment. These elements are consistent with a logic of care, critical literacy, and social justice that seeks to transform and improve education systems.