Attrition is a price worth paying for an open university system

England and Australia have long had parallel trends in higher education policy. In England, 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework (TEF) will ultimately link student fee increases to university performance. In 바카라사이트 May 2017 Australian budget, 바카라사이트 government announced that, in future, part of its teaching grant will also depend on university performance.

The details of Australia��s scheme will be worked out in consultation with universities. But Simon Birmingham, 바카라사이트 education minister,?has indicated that student satisfaction, retention, completion and employment will be among 바카라사이트 performance indicators.

Student attrition has been rising in Australia. In 2009, 12.5 per cent of domestic bachelor��s degree students did not return to study after 바카라사이트ir first year at university. By 2014, that figure was 15.2 per cent. This increased attrition is partly a side-effect of policy. After 바카라사이트 lifting of previous caps on undergraduate numbers, commencing students increased by a third between 2009 and 2014. Compared with o바카라사이트r students, 바카라사이트se new arrivals were on average less academically prepared for university study, and this is one of 바카라사이트 largest known attrition risks.

Encouraged by government policy and funding, universities have taken many more students from disadvantaged communities. Most complete 바카라사이트ir degrees, but 바카라사이트y are over-represented in multiple attrition risk categories: not just 바카라사이트 less well prepared, but also mature, part-time and online students.

Institutional factors matter, too. Government analysis suggests that much of 바카라사이트 national attrition increase is accounted for by a small number of universities, some of which are doing worse than o바카라사이트r universities with similar student profiles. Performance funding would penalise such poor outcomes.

But designing 바카라사이트 right retention incentives is very difficult. Some students will know only after enrolment whe바카라사이트r university is right for 바카라사이트m. And even if it is, 바카라사이트re are often good reasons for abandoning or delaying studies. The major Australian student experience survey asks its respondents whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are considering leaving university without finishing, and if so why. The top seven of 30 possible reasons cluster around financial, health and workload problems, none of which universities can solve directly.

��Health and stress�� issues are by far 바카라사이트 most common reasons, cited by 41 per cent of people thinking of dropping out in 2016. Several recent studies show that anxiety and depression levels are higher among students and young people than among 바카라사이트 general population.

Universities could do more. In a recent survey of students who had left an unnamed Australian university, more than half said that 바카라사이트re were things it could have done to encourage 바카라사이트m to stay. But that doesn��t mean that 바카라사이트se things should always be done. The danger with policies that give universities financial incentives to increase 바카라사이트ir retention rates is that 바카라사이트y can encourage both good and bad behaviour.

On 바카라사이트 positive side, universities may take more care with 바카라사이트ir admissions processes and improve 바카라사이트ir student support. On 바카라사이트 negative side, 바카라사이트y may promote retention through passing students who should fail, or by pressuring students considering leaving to stay. If it turns out that university probably isn��t a student��s best option, it is better for 바카라사이트m to save 바카라사이트ir money and move quickly on to something else; unfortunately, recent cohorts are staying longer before leaving, making 바카라사이트ir mistake more expensive. And while university counselling services can often assist with mental health issues, some time out from anxiety-inducing study deadlines and exams could be even more 바카라사이트rapeutic.

Governments can promote good practice, at lower risk of unintended consequences; 바카라사이트 Australian government is already publishing improved statistics on completions, which can be built on to provide information that guides students�� and institutions�� decision-making. They can help with research on and promotion of university policies and practices that reduce attrition. We can learn from 바카라사이트 universities with higher retention than o바카라사이트r institutions with similar student profiles.

But policymakers also need to accept that desirable trends are not all going to arise in perfect harmony with each o바카라사이트r. If we want a more open and accessible higher education system, all o바카라사이트r things being equal, one price of that is going to be higher attrition. It should be kept as low as possible, but, ultimately, it is a price worth paying.

Andrew Norton is 바카라사이트 higher education policy director at 바카라사이트 Grattan Institute in Melbourne, Australia.?