State moves to curb 40% dropout rate of university students

Up to 40% of students in various disciplines drop out of Russian universities without graduating, largely as a result of outdated educational models, according to Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Dmitry Afanasyev.

Afanasyev said: “During their studies, up to 40% of students decide to leave. This is mainly due to their inability to study and the lack of motivation.”

Currently, Russia has an acute need for IT specialists, engineers and other similar specialists, partly due to its military needs. However, a significant proportion of students enrolled in these kinds of programmes leave them prior to their graduation.

In the recent past, Russian president Vladimir Putin has said the dropout rate in engineering specialities is as high as 60%.

Measures already in place

A set of measures to prevent the massive dropout of students from domestic universities has already been designed by the Russian government. Part of these plans is an increase in the minimum Unified State Exam score for admission to programmes and a reduction in the number of state-funded places.

The government wants to distribute state-funded places primarily among universities with high results in personnel training and link them to those disciplines currently in the highest demand in Russia.

The provision of state-funded places will also take place on the basis of direct state orders. Already this year, 43% of all state-funded places have been allocated to areas related to engineering and modern technologies, such as informatics, mechanical engineering and construction. This scheme also includes the provision of educational loans at a record low interest rate.

Outdated models

According to Afanasyev, the lack of motivation among students is mainly due to outdated education models.

However, he said the government is working on making the training of future specialists more flexible to meet the requirements of the labour market.

That involves the introduction of more practical classes, interdisciplinary programmes and the opportunity for students to obtain additional qualifications during their studies.

In addition, special attention will be paid to the employment of graduates.

According to Afanasyev, due to the shortage of personnel, the value of each young specialist increases, which means that the training of practitioners who understand how to apply their knowledge in a specific industry is especially relevant.

He cited, as an example, specialists in the field of artificial intelligence – the demand for which in Russia has significantly increased in recent years.

Afanasyev said: “These are not only those specialists who develop algorithms, but those who know how to apply [AI] in medicine, in design, in agriculture and so on.”

As part of these plans, the skill level of university teachers, particularly those who work in engineering disciplines, is to be raised.

According to some Russian senior state officials, in recent years Russia has faced a decline in the quality of mathematics and natural sciences teaching in secondary schools.

Still, the work in this field is ongoing, with the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, together with some leading Russian universities, having designed concepts aimed at improving mathematics and natural sciences education in secondary schools.

Poor motivation

Meanwhile, a senior researcher at the Centre for Continuous Education Economics at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Boris Ilyukhin, in an interview with the Russian Izvestia business newspaper, said the number of students who do not complete their studies was quite high, even in Soviet times.

He believes that one of the main reasons for this is a lack of informed choice regarding the specialities available among high school students.

Ilyukhin also said: “In many countries around the world, this choice is made much later – at 20 years of age or older. In addition, the availability of higher education has played a cruel joke on Russia – there are a lot of state-funded places at present.

“We are among the leading countries in these terms. As a result, a significant portion of students are not sufficiently motivated to study and often not only cannot but also do not want to study.”