Spain finally acts as demand slips

Spanish universities are likely to experience falling student demand over the next ten years, but most are only now beginning to react despite evidence dating back at least six years.

Demand for places on first degrees began to drop in 2000 and, because of demographic change, the decline is expected to continue until at least 2015.

There has been no national response to this shift, but individual universities are beginning to adapt to the situation.

In the coming academic year, the slip in demand has been slight - 1.1 per cent fewer enrolments compared with 3.7 per cent fewer last year.

But the downward trend will continue. By 2015, Spanish universities will have 300,000 fewer students than they had in 2005, said Rafael Puyol, professor of human geography at Madrid's Complutense University.

Falling demand is affecting some institutions and subjects more than others. Universities in the cities are faring better than those in small provincial towns.

In the five universities of the Valencia region, an average of 25 per cent of places are still available, although clearing has still to take place.

But the number of vacancies rises to 36.3 per cent at Castell"n, 35.3 per cent at Elche and 32.7 per cent at Alicante.

Degrees in medicine, nursing, education, business studies and law are most popular; those in humanities and hard science struggle to fill their quotas.

The Ministry of Education is due to announce the final shape of a new set of approved first degrees this autumn. This should see the number of qualifications cut from 140 to 82.

Complying with the Bologna Process is the main driver for change, but the Government is also taking the opportunity to shut down or merge less popular subjects, with the arts and technical degrees bearing the brunt.