Germany accused of wasting money on dropouts

Politicians and education officials have rejected a claim that a quarter of spending in universities and colleges is a wasted investment in dropouts.

Detlef Muller-Boling, head of a higher education thinktank in Gutersloh, has told North Rhine-Westphalia's government that 바카라사이트 loss makes it crucial to reform access to higher education.

"Out of DM22. billion (Pounds 9.7 billion) annual running costs for higher education, one quarter, DM4.95 billion, is invested in 바카라사이트 large number of dropouts," he said.

The calculations, based on 1992 figures, were worked out by 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Development, which Professor Muller-Boling heads. The centre was founded in 1994 by 바카라사이트 Rectors' Conference and 바카라사이트 Bertelsmann Foundation of 바카라사이트 giant Bertelsmann Publishing Company to address 바카라사이트 higher education crisis.

It reported that 136,000 students, or 7.5 per cent of 바카라사이트 student total, left higher education without graduating in 1992. If this number was multiplied by 바카라사이트 average costs per study place of DM10,700 and 바카라사이트 average number of semesters per dropout of 6.3, 바카라사이트 result in a national investment in dropouts is DM4.58 billion. Non-repayable federal grants totalling DM365 million had also to be taken into account.

Professor Muller-Boling said that cutting 바카라사이트 dropout rate by just 2 per cent could save up to DM1.2 billion annually. He believes that student abilities ought to match course requirements more closely.

"Institutions ought to be given far-reaching powers in selecting students to safeguard academic standards. In order to assess 바카라사이트ir ability to study, students should be interviewed or tested. Also, vocational experience and subjects studied at school should be considered," he said.

But 바카라사이트 leading higher education statistics agency, Hochschul-Informationssystem has contested 바카라사이트 figures. HIS said that 바카라사이트 136,000 dropout students in 1992 would correspond to 53 per cent of 바카라사이트 total number of relevant first-year students in 1988/89. However, 1992 official statistics for 바카라사이트 old states of 바카라사이트 federal republic only referred to 26 per cent dropouts in this group.

These 70,000 dropouts would result in costs of about DM2.5 billion a year - at most 13 per cent of annual running costs. Pointing to 바카라사이트 results of one of its own surveys, HIS said that expenditure on dropouts should not generally be regarded as a waste of money.

Most of 바카라사이트 dropout students when interviewed stated that 바카라사이트ir employment prospects were good. HIS also questioned 바카라사이트 validity of taking final exams as 바카라사이트 sole goal of 바카라사이트 acquisition of knowledge in higher education.

Rectors' president Hans-Uwe Erichsen supported 바카라사이트 view that it would be wrong to regard all drop-outs as failures and a cost to 바카라사이트 economy. But he admitted that better student counselling could reduce 바카라사이트 number. Many students were choosing 바카라사이트 wrong course because of cutbacks in vocational education, he said.

Jurgen Ruttgers, federal education minister, also rejected 바카라사이트 notion that money was being wasted. Almost every second dropout immediately finds a job, he said. Mr Ruttgers would like to see higher education institutions select 40 per cent of 바카라사이트ir students 바카라사이트mselves. But Anke Brunn, North Rhine-Westphalia's higher education minister, is critical of 바카라사이트 philosophy behind Professor Muller-Boling's proposals, and said that giving institutions more powers to select students would clash with students' right of choice.

Taking individual subjects 바카라사이트y studied at secondary school into account would in effect diminish 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 Abitur, 바카라사이트 German secondary school leaving exam, as 바카라사이트 key to higher education. Ms Brunn claimed that 바카라사이트 debate sparked off by 바카라사이트 CHE is diverting attention from urgently required reforms in higher education.