“Not in a hurry to graduate”, recently headlined an article in the newspaper The Press. The journalist indicated that the rate of obtaining a diploma of college studies within the stipulated time had decreased by two percentage points since 2010 to stand at 33.1% for pre-university and 32.4% for technical sector.
Even if it is not recent, this phenomenon of extending the duration of studies is relevant to examine. However, we would like to add certain nuances in order to avoid being in too much of a hurry to come to conclusions.
If only nearly a third of young people enrolled in CEGEP manage to complete their diploma in two years for pre-university and in three years for the technical DEC, the statement that young people are in no hurry to obtain their diploma seems to us to misrepresent a more complex reality. In addition, despite the extension of college studies for many, the success rate has been stable during the same period, while the rate of access to CEGEP, like to university, has rather increased.
First of all, it should be emphasized that the national average conceals diverse realities depending on the regions and programs, or even between girls and boys.
In some CEGEPs, the average graduation rate on time is well above 33%. In my CEGEP of origin, it was recently nearly 60% in the pre-university sector for girls. To have a complete portrait, it is also essential to take into consideration the young people registered in “reception and transition”. This program has more and more young people, in particular because of the easing of admission conditions, but no doubt also because the three-tier school system in secondary school is detrimental to the educational level of young people from underprivileged backgrounds. However, a passage through the Tremplin DEC, as it is nicknamed, inevitably produces a change of program and an extension of the duration of studies. The effect of the pandemic should also be considered in such an analysis.
Collective and institutional changes
The portrait, like the explanation of the causes of the extension of studies, is therefore more complex than it seems. While some young people extend their school career by individual choice, for example to play sports, it seems to us that the phenomenon is part of broader collective and institutional changes. As part of a logic of competition and customer approach, CEGEPs and private colleges are diversifying their curricula to be more attractive. However, this collective choice is not without effect on the transformations observed.
In the same vein, we must ask ourselves about the “need” of CEGEP students to increase their working hours, either to meet their needs or to satisfy a certain level of consumption.
Is financial support for studies insufficient for many? Doesn’t the existence of (over)consumption practices belong to us for others? For my part, I would tend to respond positively to these two questions and to encourage colleges in particular to challenge employers so that they take more into consideration the time necessary to devote to studies.
I therefore also express certain reservations when the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, affirms in the same article that we must “continue to offer the fastest route to graduation”. Above all, we must ensure the well-being of the young people who attend our establishments by having the means to support them as best as possible in this important moment in their academic and personal career. Above all, the phenomenon of extending studies should not be used to argue in favor of an even greater multiplication of certifications or certificates that are shorter and much less complete than the DEC.