Unsatisfactory

This would be an unsatisfactory answer for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it tells us little or nothing of the relative contribution of these facial's (are they interactive ... cumulative or what?). Secondly, in limiting the causes of failure to past academic performance, and present endeavour, non-academic factors such as the student's home life, or the immediate stresses and strains that are part of living, are neglected: finally, such a view takes no account of the fact changes in role are often productive of stress which, in turn, requires a period of time for adaption—adolescence, going into one's first job, or coming to a university are all examples of a role change which often involves considerable and unusual stresses, for which people are unprepared.

Let me try and examine, briefly, what are often understood to be the causes of student failure. Following that I will attempt to outline some of the possible ways by which failure might be minimized together with some discursive notes on the more apparent deficiencies and inadequacies as they exist in the here-and-now in New Zealand universities.