«Losers, good guys, cool kids» the everyday lives of early school leavers

Abstract

The article describes an empirical study concerned with the NEET generation in Hungary. The NEET generation (Not in Education, Employment or Training) is represented by those young persons who do not work or study anywhere due to a number of social, economic and political reasons. The authors present the results of qualitative interviews revealing some of the problems of secondary school graduates. The findings point to deep public misunderstanding of the situation of the NEET generation and help the authors to draw up several proposals on the modernization of youth policies.