Truancy has remained a problem in the UK

"There is a significant minority of school pupils who find school untenable for a number of reasons," says Reva Klein, the London-based author who is chair of the campaign.

"In some United States cities it can be as high as 50% of the school population. Given the current emphasis on school inclusion, we all have much to gain from sharing the experiences, analysis and strategies from around the world.

"This will help make our schools not only more relevant and accessible but also more compelling places for young people."

In the United States, in October 2000 there were 3.8m young people over the age of 16 who had not completed high school, representing 10.9% of the 16 to 24 year old population.

Surveys of school disaffection in the United States have found that among the reasons cited for dropping out are not liking school, not getting on with teachers or other students, academic failure and pregnancy.

And in the United Kingdom, truancy and drop-out rates have remained stubbornly high, particularly in deprived areas.

International experts

But in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Scandinavian countries, she says there is almost no drop-out problem.

In Japan, more than 1% of students dropped out last year which, although comparitively small, represents a 20% increase from two years ago.

The campaign will bring together academics and educationalists with expertise in the United Kingdom, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia and South America.

This collaborative approach to disaffection has been inspired by the National Dropout Prevention Centre in South Carolina in the United States.