Mind the gap between high school and university! A field qualitative survey at the National University of Caaguazú (Paraguay)

• Main Authors: Siri A, Bragazzi NL, Khabbache H, Spandonari MM, Cáceres LA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2016-05-01
• Series: Advances in Medical Education and Practice
• Subjects: university students; school-university transition; social inclusion; drop out; preparatory courses
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/mind-the-gap-between-high-school-and-university-a-field-qualitative-su-peer-reviewed-article-AMEP

Anna Siri,1,2  Nicola Luigi Bragazzi,1–3 Hicham Khabbache,4 María Maddalena Spandonari,5 Luis Alberto Cáceres,5 1Department of Mathematics (DIMA), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 2UNESCO CHAIR “Anthropology of Health – Biosphere and Healing System”, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 3Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 4Faculty of Literature and Humanistic Studies, Sais, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco; 5Administrative Direction, Universidad Nacional de Caaguazú, Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay Abstract: Paraguay has eight public universities and 45 private universities. The National University of Caaguazú (Universidad Nacional de Caaguazú or UNCA), with its main campus located in Coronel Oviedo, is one of the most recently founded public universities, being established in 2007. The UNCA has launched a project aiming at exploring the potentiality of its educational system, as well as its gaps. In particular, the UNCA wants to assess the effectiveness of preparatory courses for preparing students for admission to the degree course in medicine (Cursos Probatorios de Ingreso or CPI), in order to identify the main strong and weak points of the system, the popularity and usefulness of CPI as perceived by the students, the students’ and teachers’ opinions regarding the limits of school, and their suggestions. This paper is based on a field survey and highlights the care that must be taken in order to develop conditions respectful of the wellbeing of those participating in the educational context. Keywords: university students, school-university transition, social inclusion, drop-out, preparatory courses