Paul Bradford
Question:524 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students who have dropped out of college in each of the institutes of technology for each of the years from 1997 to 2000. [23911/01]
Written Answers. - Third Level Drop-outs.
Paul Bradford
Question:525 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students who have dropped out of each of the universities for each of the years from 1997 to 2000. [23912/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 525 together.
The statistical information the Deputy requires is not readily available. However, the issue of attrition rates has been a matter of concern for some time, and a significant amount of work has been done in the area. Quantitative research has been undertaken in the universities and the institutes of technology. A Study of Non-completion in Undergraduate University Courses was undertaken by the Educational Research Centre or ERC at the request of the Higher Education Authority. The report found an overall non-completion rate of 16.8% for all first-time entrants to university undergraduate courses in the academic year 1992-93. The non-completion rates recorded by the report for each of the universities based on the 1992-93 cohort are as follows:
|
Dublin City University |
21.4% |
|
University College Cork |
14.6% |
|
NUI Galway |
12.9% |
|
NUI Maynooth |
27.9% |
|
Trinity College Dublin |
16.2% |
|
University College Dublin |
14.2% |
|
University of Limerick |
20.5% |
|
Overall |
16.8% |
At the request of my Department, the Council of Directors of Institutes of Technology also commissioned the ERC to undertake a comprehensive study on the issue of non-completion in institute of technology courses. The Dublin Institute of Technology also conducted a similar study. A Study of Non-completion In Institute of Technology Courses examined the completion rates for first-time entrants to eleven institutes of technology in 1995. The study shows an overall non-completion rate of 42.61% across the institutes surveyed. The non-completion rates recorded in the report for each of the institutes of technology surveyed based on the 1995 cohort is as follows:
|
Athlone |
44.47% |
|
Carlow |
47% |
|
Cork |
32.62% |
|
Dundalk |
58.16% |
|
Galway-Mayo |
41.42% |
|
Letterkenny |
60.55% |
|
Limerick |
45.30% |
|
Sligo |
41.97% |
|
Tallaght |
45.71% |
|
Tralee |
39.39% |
|
Waterford |
32.86% |
|
Overall |
42.61% |
The results of the Dublin Institute of Technology study indicate an overall non-completion rate of 39.46% for the 1994 cohort of full-time first year students pursuing courses in the institute. In dealing with attrition rates, there is a need to develop an inter-institutional tracking system. The Higher Education Authority is developing an oracle-based data system to store detailed student-related data. In this regard, work is ongoing in relation to the development of a system to facilitate the identification of cases where students fail to progress to the next year of a course. In the institute of technology sector, a computerised management information systems project is currently being developed. The aim of the project is to support the efficient administration of the institutes of technology, and, when operational, the system will provide enhanced information on attrition rates.