UK university drop-out rate rises

There has been a rise in the drop-out rate at UK universities, figures show.

The most common reasons cited for dropping out are uninspiring teachers, financial worries and feeling poorly equipped for studying at higher education level. With the controversial Education Maintenance Allowance it appears that the government are going to do all they can to keep young people in education.

However, I wonder if they are missing the point; does it matter how much we pay students to stay in education if what they are studying is uninspiring and of no interest to them? Perhaps a better way to solve this problem would be to look at how the decisions are made in the first place – why young people choose a certain course. If we can get students to choose subjects that they are interested in and naturally good at, are their chances of staying in higher education not better?

There are two things I know about success and young people and these are, a) identify and articulate their natural talents and, b) place them in a situation where they can use them.

Most decisions about college are made by some combination of exam results, teacher’s recommendations, family expectation and the reputation of the college. These are all outside factors, not accounting for what lies on the inside. No consideration is given to how the young person learns best, what environment is most supportive to them, what their naturally abilities, their interests and their goals are. The most important information that schools and students can be given is an assessment of their natural talents and abilities.

So come on, lets get with it and start teaching teenagers to make decisions on who they are and how they operate. Lets stop wasting money on keeping them in uninspiring courses that are not a good fit for them. Lets give them real and practical information on which to plan the rest of their lives.

U.K. university drop-out rate rises