Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 May 1998

Vol. 490 No. 7

Written Answers. - Third Level Students.

Bernard Allen

Question:

42 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress, if any, he has made to establish a database to track dropouts at regional technical college and university level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11118/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The reasons for drop-out are complex. There is no simple explanation. Factors such as motivation, capabilities and suitability are all involved. There must also, of course, 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 universities, institutes of technology and the National Council for Educational Awards.

Information is not readily available on the number of students who fail to complete third level courses at the institutes of technology and universities.

In relation to the university sector, the Higher Education Authority carried out a study in 1994 which indicated a completion rate of 81 per cent for those students entering in 1989-90. This rate is a high completion rate by international standards. The authority has recently commissioned the Educational Research Centre, St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra, to undertake a further detailed study in this area.

In addition, the Commission on the Points System has engaged a team of researchers to undertake a feasibility study of the predictive validity of the points system in relation to the intake of students into higher education.

There are a number of initiatives being developed in the technological sector which will assist the compilation of a database on attrition-drop-out rates. These are as follows: steps are being taken to initiate a study to determine and measure student attrition and retention in the technological sector; a national group representing the institutes of technology system has been established. Its aim is to provide solutions on a national basis to the varied and complex reasons for attrition in both the short and long-term. It is hoped that the short-term solutions will be ready for implementation this September. In addition each institute will examine and attempt to address their specific retention-attrition difficulties; a system has been developed for a statistical monitoring of uncertified departures from certificate and diploma programmes and is being applied on a pilot basis in some institutes; other studies, in both individual institutes and in groups of institutes, have also been carried out with a view to developing actions to minimise uncertified departures; a comprehensive study of the guidance services in institutes of technology was carried out with assistance from the National Centre for Guidance in Education; a study of students attending four colleges and who entered college for the first time in the 1996-7 session is ongoing. Data has been collected from three colleges and is currently being analysed. It centres on comparisons of three student groups — those who progress to second year; those who drop out without completing examinations; those who fail examinations. It is expected that the report will be finalised in September; the NCEA, in December 1996, initiated a study into admission requirements, academic standards for transfer from national certificate to national diploma to degree and took into account the attrition rates within the movement from one course level to another. An interim report on the study was presented to the council's academic committee. I understand, however, that presentation of the final report has been deferred in order to take account of other ongoing studies on attrition rates with a view to providing a more comprehensive analysis of the problem.

A computerised management information systems project is currently in progress as part of the ongoing work to establish modern financial and administrative systems for the institutes of technology. The project has the aim of supporting the efficient and effective administration of the institutions and providing both the institutions and my Department with timely and accurate management information for a variety of purposes. This new system will provide enhanced information on attrition and the results from the initiatives above will be fed into this project.