Fix the foundations – stop papering over the cracks

A Different View with Dave O’Connell

There is much to be proud of when it comes to our education system – but let’s not allow our successes to plaster over the flaws.

The recent statistics on drop-out levels from our higher education system were shocking – and clearly something has to be done.

But this also has to be seen in context – and then you can either console yourself that we’re not so bad, or more probably conclude that this is a European crisis, if not a global one.

Eurostat figures from 2013 show that Ireland has the highest proportion of young people who have successfully completed third-level education in the EU.

The figures showed that across the 27 EU member states in 2012, 35.8 per cent of 30 to 34 year olds had completed third-level education.

In Ireland, more than half of 30 to 34 year olds (51.1 per cent) have completed third level.

Another survey, this one from the OECD, ranked Ireland as tenth highest in the world for the proportion of its adults with third level degrees, with 37 per cent as compared to Canada on top of the list with 51 per cent.

It will surprise no one who has lived through the era that 1965 to 2003 saw a growth of 592% in Ireland’s third level student population.

So in a nutshell, we’re doing just fine in steering our young people into and through college, and if we have a high drop-out rate it’s partly because we’ve so many more going in there in the first place.

Even on student attrition, we’re not alone – figures from 2012 show the drop-out rate in Germany is 28 per cent, in France it’s 42 per cent and Italy even higher at 45 per cent. The UK in contrast is less than nine per cent.

By comparison, the average drop-out rate between first year and second year across Ireland’s seven universities, IT’s and other colleges was 15 per cent – although it is as high as 80 per cent on particular courses.

And all have around the same percentage of young people in third-level education – UK and Italy at 43%, Germany at 42%, and France at 39 per cent.

By comparison – and to be completely parochial about it – Galway sees an impressive 60 per cent of its school-leavers head straight for third level.

All of that suggests there is much to be proud of – third-level education provides a highly qualified potential workforce.

This is recognised by the multi-nationals who come here to establish major bases, because tax breaks on their own are not enough.

But still too many students fall through the net – and there are many reasons for this.

The Union of Students in Ireland would argue that it’s down to the cost of education and there is clearly merit in that.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.