The scope of 1st Dropout Survey was twofold:

a. to identify the dropout rate in lower secondary education (Gymnasium) and

b. to identify the training needs of lower secondary education dropouts

- In the A' phase a census was carried out (from May through September 1994) to establish the Gymnasium dropout-rate. The method used was the "cohort dropout approach". With this method, which uses school administration files to record the progress of an entering cohort through to graduation or non-completion, it is possible to compare the number of students who enroll in the Gymnasium in a particular year with the number of graduates three years later. In this survey, data for three cohort batches were collected from all 1641 Greek Gymnasia (pupils enrolled in Gymnasium for the school years 1987/88, 1989/90, 1991/92).

- In the B' phase, structured interviews were carried out with dropouts to examine the factors influencing their decision to terminate their schooling prematurely. From December 1994 through June 1995, ninety interviewers asked a nationwide representative sample of 1450 dropouts (from the cohort 1991/92 -aged 15 to 17) a variety of questions concerning school attendance, educational attainment, and work involvement during the school terms and after dropping out, their occupational aspirations and plans, and their training needs.