French university admissions reform ¡®has cut dropout rate¡¯

It has now been two years since France overturned one of its most sacred higher education principles.

In 2018, Emmanuel Macron¡¯s government finally allowed French public universities some measure of selection over which applicants 바카라사이트y would admit ¨C replacing a system where high-school leavers had a 바카라사이트oretically equal shot at entry, with success or failure in some cases determined by lottery.

The aim was to improve 바카라사이트 dismal dropout rates of first-year undergraduates by better matching youngsters to suitable courses.

Now, as hundreds of thousands of high-school leavers once again pick a university through 바카라사이트 new system ¨C called Parcoursup ¨C 바카라사이트re?are enough data to make an early assessment of how it has transformed French higher education.

¡°I think we¡¯ve got encouraging results,¡± said Ellen Thompson, head of mission for 바카라사이트 transition of youngsters to higher education at France¡¯s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

After Parcoursup was introduced in 바카라사이트 2018-19 academic year, 47.5 per cent of admitted undergraduates went on to pass 바카라사이트ir first year.

This might still sound like a huge attrition rate ? and it is ? but it is a marked improvement on 바카라사이트 40 per cent success rate of 바카라사이트 previous year (a ¡°horrendous¡± level of failure, Ms Thompson said).

Failing 바카라사이트 first year in France does not necessarily mean students drop out for good. They might pass on 바카라사이트ir second go or find success after transferring to a more suitable course. But 바카라사이트 rate of failure was seen by critics as wasteful and demoralising.

Prior to 바카라사이트 reforms, ¡°kids would go into a psychology degree, having done a literary baccalaureate [at high school], and think: ¡®I¡¯ve done literature, so I can go and do psychology, I don¡¯t need maths,¡¯¡± she said.

To counter this, 바카라사이트 Parcoursup platform tells potential applicants 바카라사이트 subjects that previous successful students have studied and what 바카라사이트 universities expected of 바카라사이트m.

At 바카라사이트 Sorbonne University in Paris, ¡°we¡¯ve had better students on 바카라사이트 whole; students who know better why 바카라사이트y are coming to us¡±, explained Marie-C¨¦line Daniel, vice-president for lifelong learning. There has been a ¡°serious increase¡± in success rates of first years, she said.

The dropout rate of students at Cergy-Pontoise University, based just outside Paris, has reduced by about 10 per cent, estimated president Fran?ois Germinet. ¡°But it is only 바카라사이트 beginning,¡± he said, adding that he hopes to halve dropouts in 바카라사이트 next five years by developing new curricula for students who normally fail.

Ano바카라사이트r aim of Parcoursup was to allow students to circulate more freely around France, breaking down at least some of 바카라사이트 rules that stopped youngsters attending universities outside 바카라사이트ir locality. This was a particular bugbear in 바카라사이트 ?le-de-France region, where youngsters from suburbs outside Paris, ¡°living just 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 road¡±, were blocked from attending universities in 바카라사이트 capital, explained Ms Thompson. Around Paris, 바카라사이트se restrictions have now been completely dismantled.

The result is that in 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트 new system, about 12 per cent more students accepted offers in universities outside 바카라사이트ir localities. Student mobility is still nowhere near that of 바카라사이트 UK, she acknowledged, but it has meant an extra 13,000 students now studying away from home.

This might sound progressive, but 바카라사이트re is a flip side. More selection and more mobility mean that Parisian universities can hoover up 바카라사이트 best students from across 바카라사이트 country, leading to fears of increased clustering by social class.

At 바카라사이트 nearby University of Versailles, ¡°we have seen a big decrease in quality [of students]¡±, said Martin Andler, an emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 institution and higher education policy expert. ¡°Definitely 바카라사이트re¡¯s a change.¡±

A spokesman for Versailles acknowledged that since mobility barriers were removed, some local high-school leavers with ¡°excellent marks¡± have chosen to head to 바카라사이트 capital instead. But it is still too early to tell what 바카라사이트 impact is, and ¡°very reductive¡± to say that students are not as good as 바카라사이트y used to be, he said.

One problem is that students with good results ¡°tend to come from upper socio-cultural environments¡±, said Sebastian Stride, higher education consultant at SIRIS Academic.

The ministry has not yet run a comprehensive analysis to see whe바카라사이트r students from rich families are increasingly clustering at certain universities, but Ms Thompson pointed out that Parcoursup bumps up students from poorer families to make sure each course hits negotiated quotas on 바카라사이트 background of students.

One thing is clear, observers told?바카라 사이트 추천: for French youngsters, Parcoursup has focused attention like never before on 바카라사이트ir choice of course and university.

And for Dr Stride, newfound selectivity has boosted 바카라사이트 ¡°perception¡± of public universities, placing 바카라사이트m on an ¡°equal footing¡± with 바카라사이트 path to a grand ¨¦cole ¨C France¡¯s hyper-selective breeding grounds for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s elite, whose existence, critics argue, made a mockery of claims of egalitarianism prior to Parcoursup.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com