More students stay the course, says FEFC

College drop-out rates are falling, according to new figures from the Further Education Funding Council. FEFC-funded student numbers in colleges in 1997-98 increased by 64,000 - 2 per cent more than the previous year - to 3.2 million.

Student achievement rates increased by 4 percentage points to 72 per cent and overall retention rates rose to 85 per cent.