What school rules? by Dave Perks

This problem is compounded by the official preoccupation with retention rates. At the same time as attempting to drive up behavioural standards, the government is attempting to force schools to keep more and more students in sixth form education to study A-level subjects for which they don't see the point. By insisting that schools increase retention rates, the sanction of not tolerating poor academic performance is removed.

He's not talking about higher education, but I feel the same holds true for our university.