Students dropping out of university:

Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency illustrate that 6.7 percent of scholars dropped out of university after a year in 2011-12, growing to almost one in five at one institution. More than 26000 scholars dropped-out of university last year amid continuing concerns which school leavers are being pushed into taking inappropriate degree courses.

Official figures shows that around one in 15 undergraduates 6.7 percent failed to complete the 1st year of their degree also numbers grew to almost a fifth at worst-performing institution. At least one-in-10 scholars at 18 universities across the UK quit higher education in general after less than 12 months. It also emerged that 18.5 percent of scholars around 73500 are projected to fail to complete the course they started after dropping-out transferring to another university or graduating with an alternative qualification. Overall dropout rates were actually down in 2011-12 is the latest available figures compared with a year earlier.

It recommends school leavers are giving more serious thought to post 18 study options, especially with the size of scholar debt rising. However the continuing high number of drop-outs at some universities will raise concerns that too many scholars are still taking courses that fail to fully meet their requirements. The disclosure in data from Higher Education Statistics Agency come just weeks after a higher education watchdog believed that more than £1.3bn spent on scholar bursaries over a 5 year period had failed to prevent poor teenagers dropping out of university.

The Government's Office for Fair Access initiate that grants worth up to £4,000 a year had "no observable effect" on scholars' chances of remaining on their degree course. Speaking to the Telegraph- the former Conservative education secretary Lord Baker has also warned that some teenagers are being pushed into taking university courses just because of Britain's ‘snobbery' towards technical qualifications by leaving many struggling to find work when they graduate. As per the HESA figures 6.7 percent of scholars 26,085 were no longer in higher education after starting courses in 2011. It was down from 7.4 percent in 2010.

The highest dropout rate was at the University of the West of Scotland which operates from four campuses in Dumfries, Ayr, Hamilton and Paisley where 19.4 percent of scholars failed to complete the 1st year.

In England the worst performing institution was London Metropolitan University where 15.5 percent dropped out. This was followed by 12.5 percent at City University of London also 12.4 percent at London South Bank 11.9 percent at Middlesex also 11.7 percent at Bolton University.

Prevent the Dropout Crisis - Strategies for Student Retention are:

1. Engage and Partner with Parents:

It's an all-too-familiar story: Parent involvement declines as students get older and become more self-governing. But although the role of parents changes in secondary school, their ongoing engagement -- from regular communication with school staff to familiarity with their child's schedule,

2. Cultivate Relationships:

A concerned teacher or trusted adult can make the difference between students's staying in school or dropped-out. That is why secondary schools around the country are implementing advisories -- small groups of students that come together with a faculty member to create an in-school family of sorts.

3. Make Learning Relevant:

Boredom and disengagement are two key reasons students stop attending class and wind up dropping out of school. Dropouts said a major reason for leaving school was that their classes were not motivating. Instruction that takes students into the broader community provides opportunities for all students especially experiential learners to connect to academics in a deeper also in more powerful way.

4. Think Small:

For too many students, large comprehensive high schools are a place to get lost rather to thrive. That's why districts throughout the country are working to personalize learning by creating small schools or reorganizing large schools into small knowledgeable communities as part of their strategy for reducing the dropout rate.

5. Develop a Community Plan:

First is knowledge to understanding the scope of the problem also modern programs, practices, and resources targeted at addressing it. Second is strategy -- development of what Balfanz describes as a ‘dropout prevention intervention and recovery plan' that focuses community resources. Last is ongoing assessment -- regular evaluation and improvement of practices to ensure that community initiatives are having the desired effect.