Dear Peter,

Such a problem needs to be dealt before the student enrols to the university as his professional aptitudes and his financial means to carry on the course to the end. Those are true problems and they should not be understood as if this is just a matter of motivation.

Peter: In Argentina the college dropout in recent years shows significant values, specially in public universities (cero-cost tuition). I'm not quite sure that the issue is seriously addressed from a public policy perspective. The problem is very diverse and should be viewed with tools and other incentives depending, i.e., if the case are public system's universities or private universities.

See: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/world-view/argentina-top-%E2%80%94-its-dropout-rate

https://www.princeton.edu/rpds/papers/Rozada_Menendez_Public_University_in_Argentina_EER.pdf

Regards

Peter, this is a huge question. I need to think a little. I will be back with a comment. I find this topic of the utmost importance for a better education.

Best regards, Lilliana

In Germany, Psychology has a relatively low amount of dropouts. In my opinion, many students know what to expect (even maths/statistics is not a "surprise" anonymore). Additionally, the access to study is very limited. Therefore, only a small percentage of applicants has the chance to study Psychology at a public University - so, students might be more willing to invest efforts...

@all, good response

Peter, this is a huge proportion it is 15% in  our situation

I think  you need to  investigate it thoroughly

Perhaps the students are not  interviewed  at  the start 

Dear Peter, the sheer number of 50 % university dropouts after two years of study is unquestionably huge, in terms of human drama, as a waste of money (for the student, as well as for the organising institution), and a waste of time for students, professors, instructors, and tutors alike). It is probably not very different from the situation several decades ago. I do agree with Vilemar that it should be dealt with before enrollment. I'd say preferably in the last year of secondary school by teachers, who in most cases know their students very well, know their interests, their motivation, persitence and competitiveness and their capacity to come to terms with university-level learning requirements . Apart from mathematics-driven fields, preliminary exams may not yield conclusive results.

Hi Peter,

In the UK the dropout rate is about 6.5%.  About 18% all new entrants fail to complete the course they have started; they either drop out, transfer to another university or graduate with an alternative qualification.

Tuition fee for the undergraduate courses in the UK presently stands just below £10,000- It is expensive but not as much as the US. One would like to think an expensive education forces young people to think twice, hence less determined school leaver wouldn’t enroll for higher education. There seem to be only a weak correlation between fees and the dropout rate.

In the UK, going to higher education means you end up with about £40,000 debt before you start you working life. If the financial remuneration for a university graduate and a manual worker and four years of his/her life warrant such debt, then school leavers, in theory, should persist with education. Since the tuition fee is paid by parents, one would think parental pressure is a positive force.

If you wish to give student some sort of papers indicating their attempt at higher education then the US’ college system is an example. There are colleges in the US which cater for the first two years of education. Having their certificate motivated graduates move on to the BSc degree in universes. US’s economy is advanced and looking for workers well equipped by education. Thus university education is road to employment. This is not true in some countries. In some counties university degree (not the learning) gives you a launching pad to prosperity. 

Having a degree is the American mind-set ( I am with them). The British nobility seldom bothers with university degree. Daily Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/10727953/More-than-26000-students-dropping-out-of-university.html)

quoted Lord Baker, the former Conservative education secretary, as saying “  some teenagers are being pushed into taking university courses because of Britain’s “snobbery” towards technical qualifications – leaving many struggling to find work when they graduate.”  Does this mean the UK industry is not looking for university education, but somebody who knows his/her way around the job on the first day?

Drop out in the UK is more pronounced in less prestigious universities and less prosperous communities, probably they can’t be selective and thus take school leaver with less academically motived or wealthy parents. 

Its the unbalanced misappropriate guidance from unreliable resources these students are receiving with no filters.

In our Diploma engg about 12-15% drop after 2nd semester.

Dear Peter

Create new challenges

Show the student our concern for the welfare of it

Instead of manipulating the student, enjoy the student as a whole showing him how important he is to the general contex

Dear Peter

Create new challenges

Show the student our concern for the welfare of it

Instead of manipulating the student, enjoy the student as a whole showing him how important he is to the general contex

Here in Argentina, the soft disciplines (social sciences) are most effective in relation to the dropout students.

What you posed arises especially in hard disciplines (Exact Sciences, Engineering, etc). This is because the curriculum is more demanding in the first years of university study, and this phenomenon is not also leveraged by fluctuations in productive economic issues of the country.

When you solve the long-term economic-productive matrix , the problems arising in the field of higher education will be resolved.

Yes, about 10-15% students do it. The solution is to introduce progressive degree.

The called "Titles Intermediate Grade" can used for to reduce the gap in formal education uncertified by dropouts racing. In fact this is an option chosen by some universities.

What are your activities to reduce stopping out of students at your university?

Referring your short introduction in Germany, I have compared the educational condition based on the UNESCO statistical data between Germany and my country, Indonesia.

Germany: http://www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/country-profile.aspx?code=DEU®ioncode=40500

Indonesia: http://www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/country-profile.aspx?code=IDN®ioncode=40515

Based on the trends of both statistical data, I believed that the competition awareness of the students is one of the factors that affected the student motivation to be kept throughout the study. For instance, it can be seen from the amount of the enrollment ratio in the tertiary education, whereas the ratio in Indonesia (about 30%) is smaller that in Germany (around 60%). Of course, the other factors may also affect the motivation, e.g., the financial, family, interest, environment, etc. My short observation in my department (Information Systems), it may be under 20 % of students suffer from stopping out (breakout) after 4 th semester. 

In respect of the motivation issue, it is one of my efforts as a lecturer. As it may have also conducted by others, besides I teach the syllabus, I also try to insert the motivation to students in my class in regard to make balance between the cognitive and pedagogic aspects. It is interesting to fire someone with enthusiasm.

http://www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/country-profile.aspx?code=DEU®ioncode=40500

http://www.uis.unesco.org/DataCentre/Pages/country-profile.aspx?code=IDN®ioncode=40515

In Armenia some students are expelled due to low marks, but I have not heards that students will give up the study by personal reasons.

Dear @Peter, this is not the problem. Since we adopted Bologna system which crashed in terms of quality, students do not break their studies. It appears that everyone who enrol, must graduate. Only the length of study differs.

We have different problem, how to attract students to study! Every year situation is worse. I have had a thread about.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_methods_and_techniques_do_you_use_to_attract_many_new_students_to_your_colleges_and_universities?_tpcectx=qa_overview_asked&_trid=OKOEs0H0uQjUznSux7ZkKiVm_

Dear Dr. Peter,

At our side (The Middle East), we do not have this system of education where the governmental universities are tuition-free. Even the private universities do not have this stop out system, so we never think or take this topic into our consideration. Sorry to not give a positive answer. 

Regards 

I've never been involved in University Teaching, rules for continuity change, some said rules stay until it hit the offspring of a high rank administration officer

   http://ccsu.es/sites/default/files/recopilacion_normas_permanencia_2010.pdf

    http://www.abc.es/sociedad/20150423/abci-fracaso-escolar-201504222224.html

     http://www.emes.es/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=rZXHZE6DhxM=

     http://www.mecd.gob.es/prensa-mecd/en/actualidad/2014/02/20140213-datos-univer.html

     http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/dms/mecd/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/participacion-publica/lomce/20130426-dictamen-consejo-estado.pdf

   http://ecoaula.eleconomista.es/universidades/noticias/6504328/02/15/Uno-de-cada-cinco-universitarios-deja-la-carrera-el-primer-ano.html

   http://www.publico.es/espana/30-universitarios-fracasa-al-elegir.html 

     https://www.uam.es/ss/Satellite/es/1242678868835/contenidoFinal/Permanencia.htm    

     https://www.ucm.es/normas-generales-para-los-alumnos

       http://www.uspceu.com/_docs/conocenos/normativa-universitaria/6.pdf

      http://www.upm.es/sfs/Rectorado/Vicerrectorado%20de%20Alumnos/Informacion/Normativa/Permanencia_2011_2012.pdf

Some of these documents are in Spanish, Google translate usually provides understandable translations with a 'copy and paste' some include a link to an English language version. Hope it's useful, best regards, + salut 

though I am not teaching , Why dont you make intensive diploma 2 or 3 years of study to graduate technicians in the various fields

If the student wants to continue for bachelor degree then he can continue

50% of student break out is a serious problem

you can also make a forum to solve such a problem and the government should be involved, that is very much loss of resources

Dr Eyerer,

Purely based on my experience as a Lecturer, in the department of  Electronics and Communication Engineering. I would:

Teaching  course and couple it with practical modules. All theory  NO USE !!!

Eg: I would teach : 3rd sem - Digital Electronics with Lab

4th sem - Advance concepts - FPGA programming and Lab

5th sem - VLSI and microelectronic concepts and Lab (now simulation) . Because the concepts and difficulty on "plane-0" was hopefully observed.

1. Lower semester 60-40% of theory and practical is good. They should not be crammed with too much theory , I guess lab will help them understand concepts and also give them hands on.

2.They should be able to  MAP their understanding to the practical /field concepts(in the long run) .   

3. Assignments and continual  assessments

I must acknowledge one thing - if  young kids are taught MATH then it really makes a huge difference (sorry I may offend people ).

I volunteer teaching kids in Canada, Even with chemistry- the atomic configuration , ionic/covalent bonds and compounds, balancing of equation  etc etc . I feel is better understood if they have basic math understanding. Physics is easier !

Again, I am sorry, because they are teenagers and keeping them in the course means they need guidance. Teaching teenagers (till 20)  is really a challenge... 

Dear Peter,

This phenomenon may have very deep roots as well as reasons. Reasons of dropping out of universities may be that the student was not suitable – lack of talent, diligence or both of them - for university study or s/he changed his/her mind. Producing many dropouts may be the weakness or unsuitability of entrance exam or the lack of it. Another reason may be that the new generation is not sufficiently trained or they do not want to study and work hard. In addition, among students there are a lot of young man suffering of dyslexia, dyscalculia and many are not able to focus things.  Another approach may be that the exam system is correct, the teachers work correctly and do fail the many unsuitable or unprepared students.  You must know that the standard of education as well as the examination of students are various. There are quality universities and there are many which only call themselves university. There are countries where the administrators of colleges and universities do not allow teachers to have students failed. There are countries where the performance of universities and schools is a political question and they try hard to prove that the education standard increases. They are interested in the decoration of education statistics.  Last but not least, the commercialization of higher education has leaded to a point that administrators do not allow the correct evaluation of students’ performance. Thus, the very high dropping out in Germany may proves that university spirit is healthy, teachers are correct and weak and unsuitable students cannot terminate study.

Still an idea: recently the number of students has been multiplied but most of them are inappropriate for university studies thus their dropping out is a natural phenomenon, a necessary selection.   

A propos, dropout rate in Hungary may be about 5-10%.

Dear Peter

Job is the main issue.... If we consider the number of jobs available for graduates in industry and other productive sectors in the number of graduates it is largely in excess of the need.

Having obtained a graduation means these persons have some self-control, working and learning skills that may be useful in fields not necessarily identical to the subject of their curriculum

http://www.ed.gov/college-completion/promising-strategies/tags/Retention

The above link provides detailed information on student retention in several colleges in the State of New York in United States. In my own university a top official is designated as the students retention program director whose main job is to do whatever is passible to retain students. The duties may involve student counseling, arranging for remedial courses for needy students and so on. I do not have the figures but my understanding is that the program has been reasonably successful. Our students (undergraduate) are mostly from neighboring towns of Beaumont and that may make retention a bit easier than in other places.  I indeed understand that this a very complex issue and there is no unique way to solve this problem. This is also a problem which needs constant attention and almost all public-funded colleges in US pay attention to this because of practical reasons.At least in my university funding from the state government is linked to the students enrolled which in turn is closely linked to student retention.

After I sent you my last answer I found the actual figures of student retention and graduation rates at Lamar University, In Beaumont, Texas. I would consider these to be acceptable but there ids always room for improvement.

Dear Peter: The curricular plans and programs, specific contents of the disciplines and level of requirement must be set according to the level of basic knowledge that the students have when they enter in the university courses, and with the competences that the students are able to reach. It seems that is mostly a matter of organization and capacity to adaptation and deal with natural difficulties of all intervenient along the academic route. I did not made any research about the numbers for my country, but the rates that you presented for Germany are a surprise for me. From my teaching experience and observations, sometimes the students may face teaching modes or pedagogy patterns very different, and sometimes practically opposites. Normally (or at least many times) the cases of failure or retention are merely a problem of adaptation that can be naturally solved with more or less difficulty.

I retired from university 17 years ago and cannot tell you what activities they are doing at my former work palace to reduce dropout of students. However, I have found the 2015 report by Ministry of Education of Japanese Government, "About the situation of dropouts and a leave of absence, etc. of student" (in Japanese, http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/houdou/26/10/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2014/10/08/1352425_01.pdf), and like to tell you about what they are considering on this problem at the Government as written in this report:

The most important factor of dropout is "economic reasons." Thus, they are planning to enhance scholarship business, tuition reduction, scholarship return system linked to income after graduation.

The other main factor of dropout is the "poor learning performance." To improve this situation, they are considering to promote comprehensive education programs for new students (first-year education) at each university.

I am not an academician so I cannot directly answer your question. But I can give you an outsider's view of the problem. Problem of dropouts is universal. I have seen many uneducated people living such an excellent life socially as well as financially that would shame some of the highly educated sections of the society. So intellectual development is not everything. At the same time education can play a positive role in eliminating poverty and ignorance in society. Hindus believe in rebirth. Overall development (evolution) of an individual takes place very gradually and over a period of many births. So you will find all levels of development of minds in a society simultaneously.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

In my opinion, it is either due to choosing the wrong field of study or the influence of bad friends. They keep nagging on each other to drop out of the university and to enter the market to make money.

Good response Dr Hazim

That's a good point , you have raised Peter , and equally piercing to all of us about the alarming rate  of drop outs . And shocking to listen in country like Germany , this is the scenario. Somewhere the academic  curriculum needs  to be  more reoriented towards mental change in mind set than a very meticulously planned total academics . Waiting for others feed back on this issue .Barbara , Hazim made some interesting observations.

In India we, Universities and colleges offer short-term professional courses to increase students rate of placements in different industries, central and state administration, academics etc. it is therefore working positively to decrease rate of dropouts from the colleges and universities. However, still we have to work more on this issue.

Both for the relative percentage to the number of graduates and those relating to abandonment, Italy ranks among the lowest in the European ranking steps. Faced with an EU average of 36.8%, the Italian population of 30-34 years for possession of a degree stood at 22.4%. Bringing up the tail of the EU 28, our country is in fact placed behind Romania, with 22.8%; Croatia, with 25.9%; and Malta, with 26%. Top of the class are rather Ireland, Luxembourg and Lithuania, respectively 52.6%, 52.5% and 51.3%.

The dropout rate is closely linked to a decline in confidence that students have in graduation. In fact, according to the survey of the University of Bologna, "one year after graduation, the unemployment rate for first-level graduates grew by more than eleven points in just four years, rising from 15.1% in 2008 to 26.5% in 2012. And while it has increased the difficulty in finding a job, for the employed decreased the monthly net earnings, less than a fifth for graduates in 2012 than their colleagues who have achieved the title in 2008. a phenomenon that inevitably suggests a degree less effective than in the past.  

The Italian university is among the most expensive in Europe: the tuition fees are around an average of a thousand Euros in public universities. In the OECD rankings are higher only in England and the Netherlands, but in the face of scholarships for most subscribers, while here the funds for the right to education can not even perform 20% of the students. In France, Spain, Belgium and Austria, taxes are lower our average. But the real university paradise is in the Scandinavian countries, where students do not pay anything (except those outside the EU for two years are required to pay the quotas). In Denmark and Sweden, anyone who wants to graduate has the right, indeed, to a scholarship of 900 Euros per month: a paycheck. And some of the 52 Swedish universities listed in the top 100 best universities in the world (by eseherefore, think it is a coincidence that Italy is placed at the bottom of the ranking for number of European young people between 30 and 34 who had a university degree "

As you know, The European Commission issues an exhaustive periodical: “National Student Fee and Support Systems in European Higher Education – Eurydice – Facts and Figures. The 2014/2015 Ed. is available also as PDF downloadable

Once, I asked my students,

Me: Have you visited other universities?

Students: Yes

Me: Whose classrooms are air conditioned?

Students: The other universities'!

Me: Whose comfort rooms are better?

Students: The other universities'!

Me: Then why are you in this university?

Students: Because the tuition is much cheaper!

You are right. Now a days to get a job is very hard task so students try to do this because it is evolution we have to survive.

Tuition fees should be made affordable. Besides, lucrative job opportunities should be made available to graduates as soon as they convocate.

In my opinion, most of the "few able students" should leave school after the first year - whether of the inappropriate selection of field or of low ability (moral, intellectual). So it should be set difficulty of studying (requirements).

Even better is when they leave school after the first semester.

College should study the mature and responsible people.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

There should be some rule and regulation regarding drop-out students, for example, they should pay all the expenses that the university spent on him/her while they were at it, or they can not continue their study after that easily without imposed fine, etc etc.

In Algeria university education is completely free, and the government offers scholarships to all students (a sum of monies every 3 months) provided that the student does not miss its year of study, but there are cases like all other university in the world where students drop out to change the specialty of study, or to look for job.

I think this is due to several factors: 

-some specialties program are overloaded (from 8:00 am to 17: 00h) sometimes without stopping, which depletes the majority of students morally and physically  (Especially those who are not motivated and excited from the beginning for these specialty or not learned what is in the study program for this specialty because they don't have good information about studies) they are forced to change the field of study;

-free education lead the students to not take their studies seriously

-some students live in condition more or less poor so they need to work; some of them can not coordinate between study and work and are facing to choose between the two.

Dear all

 Dropout is not too bad, for the students can have second choice for more like and suit profession. For university can have higher quality graduators. But the percentages have to be in 20%.

In my county the dropout rate is1- 2%, but more than 50% graduators have not chosen the profession which they studied in universities.

This is about US statistics. "Almost 41 percent of students who start college won’t finish, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The data is grim—but it could also be unnecessarily pessimistic. A new report suggests the government may be over-counting dropout rates because it doesn’t account for a big, but hard-to-track, group of students: the ones who transfer midway through college..."

The College Dropout Problem May Not Be as Bad as the Government Says!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-24/the-college-dropout-problem-may-not-be-as-bad-as-the-government-says

Dear all

 Bill Gates also is a dropout student. Nowadays, for a one who really eagers for knowledge has a lot of way to choose. The most suitable is the best.

Here in India there is a provision of continuing education after a gap. The students can join and complete their course through correspondence (if possible due to subjects). In some cases the Universities give golden chances to the students to complete their courses if they have to leave in-between.

"Bill Gates also is a dropout student".

But it is another story - not ordinary dropout.

i believe the data and the reasons for college drop out vary widely from country to country. In the Middle East, university education is totally funded by the Governement and the reasons for dropping out are mostly personal and not financial in nature. A student who completes 2 years ( 60 credit hours) is given a Diploma . The student can also rejoin later and finish his studies, there is provision for this too. 

Students retention at the university can be social grants or academic scholarships funded by various institutions. An appropriate policy of the city where the university is located, eg. housing policy, and above all jobs to avoid such kind of thing.

Dear;

Students retention at the university can be social grants or academic scholarships funded by various institutions. An appropriate policy of the city where the university is located, eg. housing policy, and above all jobs to avoid such kind of thing.

Technology has facilitated Institutions to think that Students can study and take their exams when they want, not when the sabbaticals, holidays and scheduling of teaching staff allow. In higher education, this will have a very great impact on academic drop out of students, due to want of time and resources.

http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21567373-american-universities-represent-declining-value-money-their-students-not-what-it

Dear Ivo

You have raised an important issue.  I don’t know the background of your students: weather they work to survive today and deal with tomorrow as it comes, or they are financing a lavish life, or just peer pressure, jealousy  of other people's income, and so on and so forth.

We need to answer the question of “what is education for”. If it is to raise the level of consciousness, to be a better person, to contribute more to humanity, etc. then you have a point.

If the purpose of education is to lean a marketable skill in order to make a better living, then if a person who found his/her way to make a living,  I say  let it be. If you believe skill they gain in Casino is not sustainable, then I am with you. But we need to see what options are available to your students in order just to get by. You are a better judge.

dear Iolanda-Gabriela,

In engineer studies we have about 50 % drop-out at German Universities in the 4 beginning Semesters. the reasons are mainly bad remarks in tests. So these students do not fullfill the requirements of the faculties for futher studying.

I myself reached this high hurdels 50 year ago very very narrow. Although I am only one case and no statistical poof at all I dare to assert that 50 % of the students are not to stupid to become a good engineer.. So, for me, we have to look at the teachers of the students also! Not only at the students.

Peter

dear Lawrence,

your assumption is correct, but the entrance conditions for studying dentistry or medcine are extremly high in Germany. So the numbers of drop-oput are only about 15 % compared with the everage in Germany at Universities 33 % (at Fachhochschulen 23 %)

Batchelor Study.

Peter

dear Iolanda-Gabriela, dear all,

I studied the actual statistical figures of students drop-out numbers in Germany. The international comparison shows Germany in the everage on place 17 out of 24 countries. The everage drop-out number for students at Universities in the Bachelor study is 33 %. (6 years ago it was 45%!) This differs heavily with the study item. Math and civil Engineering 50%, machine Engineering 39 %, medicin 15 %, justice/economy/social 27 %; 

The reasons for drop-out are:

-71 % wrong choice of subject, unmotivated, wrong imaginations of subject,

- 9 %  familiary reasons (mostly femal students)

- 6 % failed at tests

-13 % finacial reasons

as a member of faculty for 27 years I know, that in certain subjects we had and still have 50% and more failed test results. Therefore I can not believe the statistical number of 6 %. There must be hidden a high percentage inbetween the 71 % of unmotivated students. Who motivates them? They should do that by themselves, yes. But they are Young people. I think it is enough strength for them to understand the diffcult level of all the different subjects. One could expect much more engagement of some professors to motivate their students not  to become a drop-out one. Many professors have this ability, but too many not.

Peter

In Egypt, education suffers from many problems. Where the major problem is the special lesson out of schools and many students doesn't come to school, however, education is totally funded by the Government and the reasons for dropping out are mostly personal and not financial in nature.

Dear all

“The reasons are mainly bad remarks in tests”. That means that the students’ studying way is not correct, or basic knowledge is not firm. If the students have one or two years studying for basic knowledge before university, it may help.

Dear Peter,

There is no reduction or refusal of learning in the universities unless the students did not meet the GPA requirement, credit units and u-core programs. This could even happen before the 4th semester. Otherwise, they (the students) themselves choose to relinquish their studies for their own reason(s).

In my country - Singapore, there are 3 types of universities learning - 1) Accelerated Learning 2) Deferred Learning and 3) Normal Learning

ACCELERATED LEARNING

There is this 4th semester period which only applies to Social Work. Upon completion with acceptable GPAs and completion of relevant credit units and u-core subjects, they can graduate with an Accelerated Bachelor in Social Work (ABSWK). This is a tripartite agreement between the government, my University and any interested Volunteer Welfare Organisations (VWO)s who are in need of the service of Social Workers. The fee is fully borne by the government with minimal percentage paid for by the VWOs in view of the seriousness of the program. The selection is very stringent too and the space is limited by a tutorial class size only due to heavy subsidies and monthly paid for learning.

DEFERRED LEARNING

For a deferred learning, the undergraduate is allowed to extend up to 8 years to complete their studies. That is also subject to the approval of the university and the underlying reason(s) for such deferment. One of the acceptable example is the mandatory reason to join the National Service - for male only who have to serve about 3 years of their lives to automatically join either the Army, Police and Civil Defence Force as their commitment towards civil defence service to the country in peace and especially during war time - luckily we have or hopefully never reach this stage ever.

NORMAL LEARNING

The average usual learning years except for Medicine, is between 3 and the half to 4 years depending on the modules the undergraduate is taking. In meeting the credit units and u-core modules and acceptable GPAs, one graduates naturally.

There is no reduction in the 4th semester as experienced in Germany except for the ABSWK program. There is no intervention on the reduction or refusal of learning except when such GPAs, credit units and u-core programs are not met at all. Still, it is up to the individual student to dictate if he/she would wish to continue his/her studies if he/she deems fit or take it elsewhere he/she likes.

Best regards - Mariam

Specifically regarding universities in Portugal, I would like to mention two issues, from my own empirical perspective:

(a) since the adoption of the (EU) Bologna system, students are less likely to drop out from their studies, with bachelor degrees within 3 years, and master's within 1 or 2 years; however most of the students follow the same subject area in both degrees, and it seems a missed opportunity for multidisciplinary higher education to cover more varied and relevant professional skills which are needed for a knowledge society;

(b) since the adoption of the (EU) austerity measures, many students are dropping out at any stage of their studies, due to  economic reasons (e.g. incapacity of their families to support them, sparse existence of public or private funded scholarships to apply for, rising public and private university fees); as such, several foreign universities (for example from Germany) have been recruiting the best students in 1st and 2nd years, and offering good conditions for them to study abroad.

Best regards,

Diogo

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Europe_2020_indicators_-_education

Dear Peter

In Iran we also have the exact same situation. with this huge difference that the job market in there is not as advanced as it is is Germany . Therefor stepping out of University, specially after Bachelor degree (Which normally take 4 years to complete) is a great challenge. So many of graduate for the sake of earning money, start a job which is totally irrelevant to what they studied. This problem also is common among male student, since in our culture men are the ones who should support a family financially. 

Dear Peter.

In my opinion, I think the institutional educational systems can do rather little for to reduse stopping out of students at your university if we, the teachers, do not an exercise in reflection on what we are doing in the class, in addition to transmit concepts about our subject. Today you need to convey more enthusiasm for the materials, and this is only possible if the teacher does an exercise in humility and true love / empathy for her students. At least this is what I try to do a few years ago with very encouraging results regarding your question.

Excuse my late answer but these weeks can not devote the time I wanted to RG.

Best regards.

dear Montserrat,

absolutely the same opinion

Best regards

Peter

dear Elahe

Thank you for your answer. I apreciate it most.

Best regards Peter

Dear Diogo

Thank you for this interesting answer.

Best regards

Peter

Dear Peter,

 I cannot give a very direct answer, because nearly all my teaching is on part-time degrees with mature students. There is some drop out during the equivalent of year 1 study, mostly because we have an open-access policy, and some students realise for themselves that these studies are not for them, or else they fail to pass exams/assessments repeatedly. We try to advise applicants to do something else if we think they will fail (especially now that they must pay tuition fees), but we do not refuse those who are determined to try.. A few drop out because of family or workplace problems, but some return when the problem is sorted (they can get leave of absence from their studies for good cause.

 Both here and in normal full-time degrees there is a significant drop-out at the end of year one, mostly because of failed exams, but it is not nearly so high as 50%. It is very low in the top universities, where students are highly motivated. But it may be that our now rather high tuition fees also make the students think carefully about their actions!

Dear Peter,

in medicine they had about a century ago a Basis study, called philosophicum - a kind of General studies, which was replaced by the physicum - a General study nearly only concerning sciences applied in medicine.

And now we have so many doctors who are obviously satisfied enough to look at their own small (more or less) specialty without still being able to see the whole human being and integrating the specific Problem into a greater and more important (because longer lasting) context.

Those who are not satisfied, they fight or leave during or just after the studies. Germany is loosing a lot of Money like this year by year.

And on the other Hand as in Germany a lot of Kids just go for the studies because of lack of other ideas and as they want to postpone work, so These are frustrated when it is not their ability to study hard enough or to pass tests.

They should better after some period of finding a subject of interest 

study either this

or

look for a practical education and not think this must be underestimated.

As an educator of adults, mainly in subjects of intellectual or cultural rather than practical interest, I agree wholeheartedly with Thomas. People often develop their intellectual curiosity later in life, after they have acquired the skills necessary to get a good job. There is immense social as well as individual benefit in making such opportunities available, but in general those opportunities have greatly reduced or are very expensive.

Hi Peter,

If I missed nothing, then I am the first German, at least from Germany, who answered your question. I would like therefore answer in German, because I as exactly as possible to convey my answer to you and your question relates to "German conditions". Incidentally,German language was once an excellent language of science!

 What`s the purpose of this question? Where is the problem?

Ohne exakte Zahlen kann man diese Frage nicht beantworten. Man kommt da schnell zu „gefühlten“ Ergebnissen. Nun zur Darlegung:

Gem. Datenerhebung, siehe Anlage: gab es im Jahr 2013: Schulabgänger: 898.417; davon erreichten 59.900 nicht dem Hauptschulabschluss, dies sind 6,67% des Jahrganges.

Die vorliegenden Zahlen zur Erlangung eines Berufsabschlusses bzw. Studiums lauten:   davon: 36,66% Studienberechtigung;  Studienanfänger:  33,76%; Absolventen:  22,37%. Setzt man die Studienanfänger 100% also 303.305 Studienanfänger, dann haben 200.976 ihr Studium erfolgreich beendet also 102.329 nicht, dies entspricht 11,39% der Schulabgänger des Jahrganges. Dies sind 42.429 junge Menschen mehr als die, die nicht den Hauptschulabschluss erreichten. Zuviel???; Exorbitant??? Die Frage ist hier viel zu früh gestellt.

102.329 Abbrecher erscheinen zunächst viele. Diese Zahl ist allerdings nicht gleichzusetzen mit, diese erlangen letztendlich keinen Berufsabschluss. Ein großer Teil geht in die Berufsausbildung und einige erlangen sogar den Meisterabschluss. Ein großer Teil geht in Unternehmen und in den öffentlichen Dienst und erlangen durch berufsbegleitende Maßnahmen höhere Abschlüsse. Nur ein kleiner Teil scheitert letztendlich. Genaue Zahlen sind mir nicht zugänglich.

Die Darstellung ist wiederum nicht gleichzusetzen mit der, die bei fehlenden Hauptschulabschlüssen letztendlich keinen Beruf erlangen und zu den Problemgruppen der Gesellschaft gehören.

Sicher sind die Zahlen zu hoch und man muss versuchen, Besserung zu erreichen. Dazu gehört eine verbesserte, an der „Praxis“ orientierte Schulausbildung, bessere Studienbedingungen eingeschlossen Lehrpersonal,  Vorbereitung aufs Studium insbesondere der Beratung zur Studienwahl und die Studienwahl selbst. Dazu gehören auch die Verbesserungen die Studienangebote und Inhalte von Universitäten und Hochschulen etc. Falscher Ehrgeiz von Eltern kann auch dazu gehören.

Was auf jeden Fall angestrebt werden muss, dass eine höhere Quote von Abiturienten einen Beruf erwirbt, sich als Meister qualifiziert, Handwerk und Mittelstand stärkt. Studienvoraussetzung heißt ja nicht, dass man sie diese Option auch ziehen muss.

Zum Schluss noch eine Anmerkung: Die Bewerbungen an den Hochschulen und Universitäten  erfolgen Jahrgangs übergreifend, so dass 2013 vom statistischen Bundesamt andere Zahlen für die Studienbewerber und Absolventen herausgegeben wurden. Die Darstellung hier bezieht sich auf die Jahrgangszahlen 2013 mit den Prozentangaben des statistischen Bundesamtes. An den Verhältnissen und Größenordnungen ändert sich dadurch allerdings nichts.

Conclusion.

From my point of view, my general comment to your question is: The number of interrupts of study at the universities, colleges and universities of Applied Sciences currently do not represent a socially problem-potential, yet each interrupt is a interrupt too much. In Germany, 2013 : 6.67% without school leaving (59,000 young people) and 11.39% college dropout (102,329 young people) was registered.These young people remain plenty of opportunities to find their way in the profession. Many of these college dropouts gain on other ways a Job- Qualification and so good chances for the own development. Few fail totally. By contrast, the number of people without qualifications is for German society a problematic size and it should be reduced.

Best regards

Michael Lersow

The key to effective retention, is in a strong commitment to quality education and the building of a strong sense of inclusive educational and social community on campus

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/2837252

Dear Krishnan,

Many thanks for your comment, which is part of my answer. In Germany, we have both a highly structured school system as well as a highly structured university system, which offers a large selection- and development opportunities for young people. Each can perceive his chance. There in my view are not the numbers of dropouts that should make us a headache but how can any of his way find to get education, qualification in order to obtain good opportunities for a job to earn a living.

In my view, we Germans thereby are not bad, but also not so good, so as not to be even better.

All the best

Michael Lersow

Training to earlier school leavers and existing workers specially in a unorganised sector are to be trained for employable skills

http://skillindia.gov.in/sdi

Good response @all

The drop out rates differs between streams of study.

Professional courses have the least drop out rates 

One strategy which might be of help would be ensuring quality education

And providing a comprehensive scope of the program including the career prospect

dear Michael,

thank you for your valuable answer!

On page 7 I tried to summerise some statistical numbers regarding drop-out of students in Germany.

My aim of this question was to learn from our colleagues about their Situation in many other countires.. I thank you all for participating.

Peter

Dear Peter, thank`s for comment.

I should here might represent even in English, what action I think are suitable, which could reduce the number of dropouts.

Certainly the numbers are too high and you have to try to achieve improvement. Overall, the motivation of young people to increase to complete a study at the university etc.This includes an improved, on the "practice or life reality " oriented education, better study conditions, included university teachers, Preparation of young peoples of the study at the university, particular advising of study and the choice of study itself. This includes the improvement, the study offers and content from universities and colleges etc. Wrong ambitions of parents may belong also to it. The safety thereby to reduce the number of dropouts is though not given!

Best regards

Michael Lersow

I try to help them doing the problems in the Whiteboard, and ask them if they don´t understand something I did. I use videos and images for their understanding. And also I always do a fourth test, to replace the worst qualification.

Maybe, it would be a good idea to research the reasons why they are leaving, then look for solutions of identified problems.

At our university, we organize seminars for high school students on job selection. Moreover, during admission period help desks are set for each department. Help desks describe what students will learn, study if they choose the department; where they can work upon completion; theses of previous students and job placements, etc. 

Dear friends,

if this subject is reduced to job mediation, then we us moving in the wrong direction. A study at a university or college is no professional training! To be successful in a job requires more than a degree to have graduated. This can be a good basis but no longer. And if someone drops out his study, then it can still be a good, valuable human. And I know that every person is precious.

All the best

Michael Lersow

Dear all

Engineering in a university must be set up for profession of engineer. It is for professional training. But the students who dropout from engineering can choose other professions, just as law. They still can be successful. From the major courses for engineering, a lot of people are not good at the courses. The brains for engineering are more good at Space and logic and graphic thinking ways. The brains for Law are more good at memory and generalizing and language use. Maybe 50% dropout is better than 50% unemployment from engineering job.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

We should investigate the main causes of drop-out among students by doing thorough real study and serious research. After that we should put the remedy and the solutions for it.

Dear Chun, dear all

in Germany the comparison with law is difficut. The study of law lasts 10 Semesters, the first decisive test the candidats have to  absolve is after 8 Semesters. 30 % fail, one year later you can try an other time, then you are out with about 26 years.(2 to 4 Semesters engineer, 8 to 10 Semesters law) You may be a very handsom human beeing but .... you have no certification. Your perspective for the rest of you life  is an assistant job at a  law buro with low salery.

Thats one point, an important one, we should be aware while discussing about drop out of students. Of course this is one type of example. Many others will be different.

Peter

OK thanks Magatte

To increasing the cost to be a college student, this includes:

1. rigorous entrance examination (to stop education is regrettable);

2. tuition fee (to stop education seems unacceptable from family, since the fee is from family in most cases);

To decreasing the level of non-graduation, this includes:

By setting optional courses, such that 1/3 students will be academic talents;1/3 students will be applied talents;1/3 students will be technical talents