30 May, 2006 - Minister Hanafin welcomes fall in student ‘drop-out’ rates in Institutes of Technology

The Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin T.D., today welcomed the findings of a new study which indicates major improvements in student completion rates across all programmes in the Institutes of Technology. 

The study published by the Council of Directors of the Institutes of Technology and the President of Dublin Institute of Technology shows that the national average completion rate for all courses in the sector has risen from 57% in 1999 to 75% in 2004. 

'The student drop-out rate in the institute of technology sector has been identified as a significant issue in the past.  First year students are particularly vulnerable to dropping out as they struggle to come to terms with their new third level environment and the demands of a new programme of study.  It is an issue that the Government, the Directors of each of the institutes and the President of DIT have taken very seriously.  Considerable efforts have been made to support students who are at risk of drop out.  The Government has provided substantial additional resources for access and other student service supports in each institute to enable improved career and personal guidance, orientation programmes, extra tuition and staff training.  It is highly encouraging to see that these interventions are now being rewarded as this very impressive improvement in completion rates indicates.  For each of the 18,000 students who will enter full time programmes in the institutes of technology next Autumn, and for their families, the results of today's study are very positive indeed' Minister Hanafin said.   

'The Government is now making significant additional investment in higher education as a national strategic priority.  This is enabling the continuing enhancement of facilities and improvements in teaching and learning which will, I believe, impact very positively on the student experience and hopefully enable further improvements in completion rates over the coming years.   This study will also provide important policy pointers for the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education and for the institutes themselves as they continue their focused efforts to build on the improvements they have made' Minister Hanafin concluded.

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