Students and those responsible for higher education institutions understand that student residences could be an important factor in the integration of new students, but the number of beds available is not even enough for those most in need.
The idea was launched by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation himself in July, when, in a hearing in parliament, he argued that strengthening capacity should be a priority for institutions, given the role they play in integration, and even gave the example of countries where students are forced to live on campus, at least in the first year of their course.
“We are still far from getting there, but residences are undoubtedly an important aspect”, says Luís Castro, vice-rector of the University of Lisbon.
By the end of the year, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation estimates that the number of beds in public residences will reach 17, within the scope of the National Plan for Accommodation in Higher Education (PNAES), an insufficient capacity to receive the more than 100 displaced students.
Still, Luís Castro agrees that living in a student residence can be an important factor in the academic success of displaced students and, in particular, for the most disadvantaged students.
“The more residential model that exists in other countries could be a help, particularly in terms of intervention”, also says the pro-rector for Pedagogical Innovation at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), José Cravino, who coordinates the university's Permanent Observatory on Dropout and Promotion of School Success.
In the particular case of UTAD, the person in charge refers to the high percentage of displaced students, for whom accommodation is one of the main difficulties.
The position is shared by the president of the Academic Federation of Porto who, despite never having lived in a student residence, is well aware of the reality of the federation's own residence.
According to Francisco Porto Fernandes, Academia 24 is home to dozens of students from different higher education institutions in the city and the environment is like a second family for young people who live far from home.
“If they have the conditions, residences are the ideal space for students to stay during their higher education, because it allows them to integrate and create a second family,” he told Lusa, adding that there is also a value associated with living with colleagues from different areas.
In the list of advantages, the president of the Lisbon Academic Federation also mentions that there is greater proximity between the university's academic services and the student, which is important in preventing school dropouts.
“If we accommodate more students in residences, we can provide more personalized support and understand the flaws that lead a student to want to drop out of higher education,” explained Mariana Barbosa.
ISCTE-IUL researcher Rosário Mauritti has a different understanding and considers that, in addition to the structural lack of beds, the functioning of many public residences is “very restrictive and end up being an extension of academia”.
“The majority do not adopt this orientation”, says the researcher, who has studied the topic of student accommodation and is currently coordinator of the IN-Iscte project, dedicated to reducing dropout rates.
Alternatively, this role can and should be assumed by higher education institutions, for example, with the creation of monitoring and study support teams, including beyond the normal opening hours of academic services, an idea that he says he wants to implement “very quickly” at ISCTE-IUL.
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