The decision of some students to drop out of their courses certainly concerns me. The Deputy will appreciate that the reasons for dropout are complex. There is no simple explanation. Factors such as motivation, capabilities and suitability are all involved. There must also be a balance between completion rates on programmes and maintaining the necessary objective standards. The challenge of maximising completion rates, consistent with maintaining appropriate standards, is a matter in the first instance for individual colleges and the National Council for Educational Awards. As the Deputy is aware, a range of new structures have been developed in the colleges on foot of the enactment of the Regional Technical Colleges Act, 1992, designed to support their effectiveness and efficiency as third level educational institutions.
A number of initiatives have been taken by the colleges and the NCEA in relation to the monitoring of departures before students have completed their courses. A system has been developed for a statistical monitoring of uncertified departures from certificate and diploma programmes and has been applied on a pilot basis in some colleges. Other studies, in both individual colleges and groups of colleges, have also been carried out with a view to developing actions to minimise uncertified departures. A comprehensive study on the guidance services in regional technical colleges was carried out with assistance from the National Centre for Guidance in Education. A further study began in October 1996 aimed at providing a comprehensive examination of the reasons underlying uncertified departures. The study covers the 1996-7 session and encompasses background research, case studies, surveys and questionnaires. In December 1996, the NCEA initiated a study into admission requirements, academic standards for transfer from national certificate to national diploma to degree and into attrition rates within courses in NCEA designated institutions. An interim report from the study was presented to the council's academic committee last April. I understand, however, that presentation of the final report has been deferred to take account of other ongoing studies on attrition rates with a view to providing a more comprehensive analysis of the problem.
In July I established a joint industry-education task force to identify a range of proposals and measures to enhance the throughput of students in particular engineering disciplines to address the strong demand for technicians in the new technological industries. As part of the immediate follow up to the task force, I have already announced a major initiative whereby industry and colleges will jointly recruit, educate and train technicians. A new course, the national certificate in technology, for which up to 300 students are being recruited, will commence in January 1998 in nine regional technical colleges. The courses will involve structured work placement with a number of firms who are co-operating in this programme. As applicants will have a clear understanding of their future role in industry, I am confident that the majority of the participating students will complete their courses successfully.
The findings of the task force will be of direct assistance in developing strategies to improve retention rates generally. I will shortly announce my response to the further recommendations of this group. I will also meet the colleges collectively and this issue will be an important item on the agenda. I am very happy to consider further, in consultation with the colleges and the NCEA, putting in place an appropriate database if this can make a significant contribution to reducing drop out rates.