Education is known to be the only refuge against poverty. Yet thousands of young people are dropping out of their university studies for various reasons, giving up on their career dreams. Fort Hare University, Walter Sisulu University and Rhodes University all mention similar reasons for this slowly increasing problem: financial difficulties, bad choice of courses, and students having great difficulty coping with their academic studies.

The majority of those who have dropped out admit that the root of their problem is the bad choice of course which results in failure.

At university level it is made perfectly clear that students are in control and responsible for their studies and are considered as adults. Angela Church, Acting Director for Marketing, Communication and Development at Walter Sisulu University, said: “The method of teaching in university is very different from high schools where learners are often spoon-fed information. At university students have to learn to work independently and to research. They have to be responsible for their work projects, manage their time and motivate themselves much more than at school.”

Statistics from Rhodes show that the highest number of drop-outs was in 2009 with 738 students. The Faculty of Humanities was the highest with 306 students dropping out. However the total number of drop-outs has since gone down to 603 last year. The faculty of Health Sciences at Walter Sisulu University has shown to have the fewest drop-outs as its intake is very limited. At Fort Hare University, the Law School has had the highest rate recently as a result of the “declining level of academic literacy being delivered from school,” says Professor Rod Bally, the university planner.

“Poor schooling means that students are often severely under-prepared for university. The bulk of our students come from economically deprived homes. Rhodes University claims that the best predictor of success is if the student’s home has books that are read,” added Bally.
This challenge also affects parents as they feel the disappointment too. 23-year-old Amandla Hlazo dropped out last year. His single mother was disappointed with his results and suggested that he should rather focus on getting a job. “I initially wanted to do Communication Sciences but could not find that course at my university so I decided to do something close to it, Journalism, which was different. But now that I am doing part-time jobs I do not see myself back at school, I would rather study by correspondence.” Even though there is the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for those who are economically disadvantaged, the scheme does not have enough funds for every student in need. Some bursaries are provided for certain academic programmes by the public and private sectors, loan facilities are also available from banks (at normal loan rates) and at Edu-Loan.

Dropping out of university is certainly not the end of the road. These students are given a chance to continue with their studies should they wish to do so. Re-registration at the appropriate time is essential, however this depends on the faculty concerned and credits are only given for subjects passed.
University managements believe that this could be reduced if there was more career guidance at school level so that students chose the most suitable programme for themselves. A better primary and secondary schooling system would ensure students were prepared for university, and more money for NSFAS would assist more deserving students.