in of australian men and of australian women aged had below upper secondary education a smaller percentage than the one observed on the oecd average see figure this process may be driven by a range of different factors learning difficulties mental health issues family problems parents attitudes towards education or a more general disappointment with the school experiencewhich tend to interact and accumulate over time oecd b since reengaging dropouts with the education system is difficult identifying students atrisk from dropping out early is crucial