Enrollment in higher education on decline, experts say

ISTANBUL

The number of individuals opting not to complete their higher education is rising, with tens of thousands leaving universities after enrolling and over 1 million candidates not selecting a university despite achieving adequate scores, experts have said.

Professor Dr. Behçet Yalın Özkara from Eskişehir Osmangazi University noted that candidates' concern for the future plays a vital role in such decisions.

“If students are not accepted into a reputable institution or department, they think, ‘Even if I graduate from this university, I will not be able to find a job with this diploma. So why should I exert myself in this way?’” he explained.

Noting that the country’s universities not being sufficient to meet the needs of the age also plays a part, Özkara said that the fact that many universities are still unable to have instructors qualified to teach artificial intelligence serves as evidence of this.

“Families who come to this realization ask themselves, ‘Why is my child studying if attending university for four years won't help them find employment or increase their salary?’”

The fact that a skilled technical or intermediate employee might earn far higher salaries than an average university graduate is also among the reasons for such disinterest in higher education, he pointed out.

An educational specialist Cihan Yeşilyurt noted that numerous other factors such as exorbitant private dormitory costs, limited quotas of state-run dormitories and high housing rents also prevent thousands from attending universities.

Some teenagers tend toward academic fields they have no interest in studying, which subsequently leads them to drop out, Yeşilyurt pointed out.

Despite 3.1 million individuals paying for the university exam this year, 301,508 chose not to take the test.

Additionally, of the 2.7 million candidates who did take the exam and received their placement scores, approximately 1.1 million did not submit their university preference forms, according to local media.