Editorial [International Journal of Emotional Education, 3(2)]

Abstract

The latest Eurostat statistics show that one in every five children in the European Union is at the risk of poverty (Eurostats, 2010). This figure is set to rise as a result of the current economic crisis, with increasing unemployment, taxation and cuts in social benefits leading to further economic hardship and poverty. Inequality and social exclusion are likely to rise with the looming European economic winter, as children and young people from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to leave education and training before completing upper secondary education levels than other young people (European Commission, 2011). The EU initiatives to address this European-wide issue started even before the current economic crisis, with the Europe 2020 strategy identifying inclusive growth as one of the key drivers for growth and prosperity by tackling poverty and reducing early school leaving. (European Commission, 2009).