Student dropout varies enormously per institution, according to the inspection
It matters where you go to study. At some colleges and universities, first-year students drop out more often than at others, according to 'The State of Education 2024'. “Institutions can learn more from each other.”
Surviving the first year of study is easier with some courses than with others. The differences also remain visible if you take into account the characteristics of the students themselves or the sector in which they study, the Education Inspectorate writes.
“Institutions should not settle for this and should examine together where these differences come from and what approach to reducing dropout works well,” it says. the new report.
Significant differences
And they are significant differences. In technical courses in higher professional education, approximately 12 percent of students fail in the first year, but at one (unnamed) institution it is 25 percent and at another less than 3 percent.
In university economics courses, the dropout rate in the first year is usually 5 to 7 percent, but there is also a university that leaves around 17 percent of its first-year students in the dust.
Source: The State of Education 2024
Students therefore already have unequal opportunities at the start, not only due to their personal circumstances, but also due to the quality of their education. Universities and colleges should investigate better where these dropouts come from.
The Education Inspectorate has more questions. Why, for example, is a quarter of master's programs inaccessible after an HBO bachelor's degree?
Blind spot
The 'decentralized selection' of students at the gate of courses also remains a problem: equality of opportunity remains a “blind spot”. Selection still leads to lower opportunities for certain groups of students, say acting Inspector General of Education Ria Westendorp and Inspector of Higher Education Susanne Rijken.
What do you expect universities and colleges to do about the criticism?
Westendorp: “They have to include it in their policy. Directors often focus on returns or quality, but they must also consider equality of opportunity. It requires conscious choices, because sometimes there are clashing realities.”
Universities and colleges do not yet seem to pay sufficient attention to equality of opportunity
Which realities collide?
Westendorp: “If many students pass with high grades, you can think that you provide good education. But perhaps you should more often give a chance to students who are qualified, but probably don't get as good grades. We do not think it is unwillingness, but universities and colleges do not yet seem to pay sufficient attention to equality of opportunity.”
You have pointed this out before, for example in your report on selection.
Westendorp: “Yes, and politics also has a role in this. We have said to the minister before: make it clear what the purpose of selection is. Do we want a diverse professional population or do we want to select only the very best students? Politics is also involved.”
What is the purpose of selection: do we want to pick out the very best? Or a diverse professional population?
According to you, the quality inspection of higher education courses ('accreditation') is in order. How is that possible, if the dropout rate is so high in some courses?
Rich: “We do see differences, even between institutions that are similar, so they could learn more from each other. But you cannot link a pass for accreditation directly to the dropout. It could also be that courses have been pointed out in the accreditation and that they have to take measures, for example.”
Dropout is also due to the binding study advice, which researchers question. Many students go back to study somewhere else, often with the same course. Does the BSA make sense in your opinion?
Westendorp: “We don't know enough about that. You can of course admit large groups of students and say at the end of the year: we will kick out anyone who does not have 60 points. Then you may wonder whether that is a good idea. In any case, we see major differences and that seems to us to be a reason to look deeper, including at the trade-offs. The minister has made a proposal to reduce the BSA to 30 points in the first year and then at least 30 points in the second year. This is mainly with student well-being in mind.”
You could also judge that some courses neglect their duty of care, given their BSA and high dropout rates. Why don't you do that?
Rich: “We should have good substantiation for this and we don't know enough yet. A lot plays a role in equality of opportunity: from student well-being to the funding system. Do you want to help all those students cross the finish line as quickly as possible or do you let other interests be the deciding factor? We could investigate all kinds of things, but we only have limited options.”
