WINDHOEK – A total of 8 154 students out of 46 934 who enrolled at the Polytechnic of Namibia (PoN) failed to complete their academic studies. The figure is for the period 2006 – 2010.
Although this is a concern to PoN management, the institution says the phenomenon of students dropping out is not unique to the PoN.
The statistics are contained in the Polytechnic’s 2006 – 2010 Dropout and Retention Rates Report.
“The Polytechnic is concerned about dropout figures and it is for that reason we keep statistics in order to monitor the situation,” PoN’s director for marketing and communication, Kaitira
Kandjii, told New Era when responding to written questions forwarded to him by this newspaper last week.
PoN however indicated that of those who dropped out, some students had to terminate their studies because they were not able to fit in both work and study, while others who do their studies on a distance mode, due to their work pressure found it difficult to continue.
Some students moved to their preferred programme at another tertiary institution, while there were students who were unable to cope with tertiary level study and consequently opted to pursue other studies at other academic institutions.
While the overall non-completion rate for all faculties stood at 17 percent during the reported period, the faculty of business and management has been worst hit with over 5 000 of the total of 33 174 enrolled students dropping out.
“The faculty offering business and management programmes is the largest in the institution and accounts for about 70 percent of the Polytechnic body.
“The attrition rate in business and over the 2006-2010 period was only 15 percent, which was slightly below the average of other faculties,” said Kandjii.
An escalation in the cost of education is one of the reasons that also sees more students at tertiary institutions around the country not completing their studies.
To remedy the situation Kandjii said: “At the moment the institution, because of its own financial situation, is not in a position to offer bursaries to students, but this is something that might be considered in future once the financial situation has improved considerably.”
Kandjii also stated that without student loans, grants or bursaries the vast majority of school leavers would not consider tertiary education, adding that a large number of students who come from poor backgrounds obtain financial assistance either from government or the private sector.
Kandjii however disputed the assertion the country’s business sector could be crippled by a skills deficit in future if many students continue to drop out of business related fields, adding that the impact of dropouts on the future of the business sector seems a “little over-exaggerated”.
The school of business and management offers programmes such as entrepreneurship, public management, office administration, human resource management and information administration, among others.
“This assertion is not necessarily true. The dropout rate in business related areas is not out of synchronisation with the rest of the institution. Even the students who dropped out come out of the institution having acquired some skills and therefore they are absorbed in the market,” he said. He added that some dropouts acquire additional skills elsewhere and thereafter get employed in the business sector.
Asked how the dropout rate impacts the unemployment situation in the country, he admitted that anyone who is not able to secure decent employment will add to the unemployment dilemma.
“To say that dropouts play a pivotal role in the unemployment dilemma does not hold much water because dropping out of university does not relegate you to unemployment,” he asserted.
Kandjii said the PoN is aware of the challenges facing first-year students but the institution has instituted strategies to help newcomers adjust to student life.
By Mathias Haufiku