Blunkett to force student drop out rates down

English universities are to be forced to reduce high student drop out rates, the government has announced.

Education secretary, David Blunkett, has instructed funding council officials to put pressure on institutions with higher than expected numbers of students bailing out of degree courses.

"Widening access to higher education must not lead to an increase in the number of people who fail to complete their courses," says Blunkett in his annual funding letter to English academic institutions. "I therefore expect to see the Council bear down on the rate of 'drop out'."

Blunkett adds: "The evidence shows there are unacceptable variations in the rate of 'drop out' which appear to be linked more to the culture and workings of the institution than to the background or nature of the students recruited.

"It is therefore time for much more substantial work to be done on identifying best practice and bringing pressure to bear on those institutions whose performance falls significantly below their benchmark."

The education secretary says that he wants the Higher Education Funding Council for England to produce a report on "a programme of work and action plan developed in conjunction with institutions within the next few months".

The letter confirms that unit funding for students will rise by 0.4% in real terms in 2001-02, and increase with inflation for the next two years. Total public funding for higher education will fall though as contributions from student fees increase.

Blunkett highlights widening participation in higher education as the main priority for universities "to help the sector work towards social inclusion both nationally and in the local community".

Total publicly planned funding for higher education in 2001-02 will be over ?5.8 billion, according to the Department for Education and Employment.

As in previous years, Blunkett says that he does not expect institutions to charge additional fees above the regulated fee level ('top-up' fees).

In return for ?330m over three years to improve academic salaries, Blunkett says he will be looking for evidence of improvements in human resource development and staff management in univeresities. "I am determined that equal opportunities for higher education staff must improve," says the letter. "I look forward to hearing of rapid progress towards greater equality of opportunity for all groups of staff."

Within the total of 45,000 extra student places planned for next year, there will be an extra 12,500 full-time students, of which 2,000 will be first degree, 1,500 will be post-graduate and 9,000 will be for other qualifications.

There will also be an extra 32,500 part-time places, of which 4,500 will be first degree, 4,500 will be post-graduate and 23,500 will be for other qualifications. Over the two years 2002-03 and 2003-04, planned expansion will equate to a further 28,500 full time equivalent places.