The report by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) reported in today's editions, is a landmark document in Irish education. As the HEA itself remarks, the report - A Study of Non-Completion in Undergraduate University Courses - allows us "for the first time to analyse detailed information and to look at the possible policy implications". This is a document which should make essential reading for parents, students and the seven universities in the State. The HEA, and its chairman, Dr Don Thornhill, is to be commended for its initiative. At a time when reliable information about the performance of the primary and second-level sector is so scarce, this report lets in some valuable light.
It provides the taxpayer with very relevant information about what is happening at third level. The good news is that the drop-out or non-completion rate in Irish universities compares favourably with other OECD states, although direct comparison is difficult. A total of 16.8 per cent of students did not complete the course on which they had initially embarked.
For all that, certain colleges performed much better than others and the high non-completion rate in computer studies, science and engineering is very disturbing. The decision, for whatever reason, of students to desert these courses is very worrying for policy-makers. The Government has placed great store on the need to recruit graduates in these disciplines to support the booming hi-tech sector. But the message is that students are voting with their feet when it comes to many of these crucial sectors, with almost 27 per cent failing to finish their computer studies courses.
The task of identifying why students are dropping out of particular courses is a complex one. Those students who enter university with relatively low CAO point scores, tend to be more likely to struggle. But there are other reasons. Some will opt to find employment and some choose the wrong course. More worryingly, there is evidence that those from poorer backgrounds - who have no family history of going to third level - find it difficult to integrate into college life. The report hints that university can also be challenging for mature students or those who work part-time - the very groups the Government is hoping to attract into higher education.
To his credit, the Minister for Education, Dr Woods - through the White Paper on Adult Education - is hoping to address the very poor levels of participation by mature students and lower socio-economic groups at third level. But the HEA report indicates the scale of the challenge. There are encouraging signs that the universities are beginning to address the problem. Over £400,000 in additional funding has been allocated by the HEA. There is a range of targeted and co-ordinated initiatives across the university sector.
In all of this, the impact on the individual students who fail to complete a university course should not be forgotten. Behind the statistics, there are thousands of students whose self-confidence has been damaged. The HEA report poses huge challenges for policy-makers. This report shows that beyond the surface glamour of university life, there lurk some sad personal experiences.