Anticipated developments: East Africa's private universities and privatisation of public universities in the global context

Abstract

The growth and development of private universities has been one of the most dramatic features of African higher education in the last two decades. Using the three East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as a case in point, this analysis examines the extent to which developments in the region echo international trends, as well as how they illustrate contrasts. The analysis focuses on three key themes: (a) growth and historical antecedents; (b) institutional developments in terms of continuity and innovation; and (c) internationalism. While only relatively recent phenomena, private universities in East Africa and the increasing privatisation of public universities mirror developments in other parts of the world with a longer tradition of private university developments in terms of growth and historical antecedents, continuity and innovation in institutional development, as well as in internationalism. However, there are some situations in which the East African case is exceptional.     

Private higher education in Africa: The case of Monash South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to review the contribution of private institutions to higher education in Africa and use Monash South Africa as a case study. A literature search was conducted to gain perspective on the current situation with respect to private higher education institutions in Africa and how they are perceived in relation to public higher education institutions.

In comparison with public higher education institutions, private higher education institutions in Africa were successful in four areas: ? Widening access to higher education in the continent

? Improving the quality of education

? Improving student experience

? Increasing the recognition and marketability of their degrees

However, private higher education institutions in Africa have failed in two areas: ? Reducing the costs of higher education in Africa

? Assisting with retention of skilled human capital in African countries.

In fact, private higher education institutions in Africa, have exacerbated the two situations above.

Monash South Africa was the first foreign university to be established in South Africa and one of over 100 private universities in the continent. As a campus of Monash University in Africa, it has seen a steady growth with over 3,500 students in the past 10 years of its existence. Like other private institutions, the campus was successful in the four areas above and also fails in the area of costs and assisting in retention of skilled staff in Africa. The campus has been successful in blending its private provider status with a public purpose mandate by offering degrees in social science, business and economics, information technology and health sciences.     

Diversification in Argentine higher education: Dimensions and impact of private sector growth

Private education is a remarkably dynamic area of change in post-secondary education, particularly in Latin America. Evidence of growth in the number of private institutions and enrollment suggests that higher education is becoming increasingly diversified into two sectors – public and private. While this appears to be true throughout Latin America, and much of the developing world, recent evidence from Argentina casts doubt on the degree to which private sector growth trends may actually translate into a significant increase in the impact of private institutions in higher education, where impact is proxied by the relative share of student enrollment and graduates. This study explores the dimensions and impact of private expansion in Argentina, and places the findings in a comparative (regional) and theoretical framework. The analysis shows that, despite unprecedented growth in the number of private universities, the public sector remains the dominant provider of university education. Private institutions, while certainly more numerous and training a growing number of students, do not account for a larger share of university enrollment. They have, however, developed specific niches (e.g., in graduate level training and in urban areas). Significantly, following a pattern of institutional proliferation found throughout Latin America, some private universities offer elite alternatives to prestigious public institutions. The findings serve to qualify apparent `gains' in private higher education and to underscore the need for further research into the relevant intrasectoral (public and private) dimensions of change in post-secondary education.     

20世纪上半叶中国私立大学产生与发展的历史轨迹

追溯20世纪上半叶中国人自办与参办私立大学产生与发展的历史轨迹,是深入认识中国私立大学的路标和门径。20世纪前半期,中国私立大学在帝制末年孕育产生,在军阀混战中获得生长机遇,在抗战前10年取得长足进步,在抗战之后继续发展。此间,中国私立大学形成了自己基本的办学特点,诸如办学类型多元化、多渠道等筹措经费、精神立于物质之上、严格教育教学管理等,为中国高等教育发展作出了贡献。     

UK initiatives to promote inclusion in higher education for students with disabilities

ABSTRACT

The inclusion in higher education of students with disabilities and learning difficulties has become a matter of concern within the past eight years. Recent Higher Education Funding Council initiatives to promote greater inclusion have had some success in improving access to higher education (HE) and raising awareness across the sector of the need to ensure full participation by students with disabilities in the learning environment once they enter the university. Hopes that the new UK disability rights legislation would help promote equality of access to HE were disappointed when it became apparent that the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 excluded education from its main provisions. The only requirement affecting post‐compulsory education is that institutions publish a statement on their provision for students with disabilities and learning difficulties. These disability statements confer no legal rights and it appeared that they would have little impact on access to HE for disabled people. This paper reports the findings of a survey of the anticipated effects upon the higher education sector in England of the requirement to produce disability statements. There may be some positive effects not only upon the nature and form of information available, but also on the provision offered in the sector.     

Trends in private higher education in Australia

The last decade has witnessed a significant growth of private higher education around the world. The growth included the number of private education providers, and also the growing number of students. While some countries are experiencing trend growth, others are witnessing decline. Some of the reasons for the decline include increased regulation and stringent accreditation and reaccreditation of higher education institutions and courses, government policies to encourage the growth of public universities, and acquisition of small providers by large private education institutions. The growth of private higher education has increased competition, and it has also established collaboration with public institutions. The growth of private higher education has also raised concerns about ethical governance, maintenance of academic standards, and mechanisms to plan, review, and improve educational outcomes. This paper focuses on Australia where despite growth, there is limited research about private higher education. This paper reviews literature on the global growth and decline of private higher education. It then analyses the trends in Australia and possible scenarios for the future of private higher education in the country.     

Empowering managers,assuring governors

Largely unknown to most of the world, Kyrgyzstan has a flourishing higher education (HE) sector, with more universities per head than other countries with similar populations. Kyrgyzstan is also a major regional importer of international students in Central Asia. This paper opens up this understudied country in three ways: first, through a brief analysis of the HE sector in Kyrgyzstan; second, by offering a personal view of life on the HE coalface through the findings of primary interviews with university managers in Kyrgyzstan, and third, by identifying five key contemporary challenges of working in Kyrgyz universities. The paper therefore contributes to the limited academic and practical study of HE in Central Asia by offering a new perspective on contemporary global challenges in HE administration and management. The key findings are relevant to organisations seeking to understand the context of working in the HE sector in Kyrgyzstan, and also to individuals and organisations wishing to deepen their comparative understanding of HE sectors around the world.     

A history of higher and professional correspondence education in the UK

ABSTRACT

Correspondence education, or learning by post, lasted over 100 years in the UK; it had its roots in the nineteenth century, peaking in the mid-1960s. It was also widespread, numbering hundreds of thousands of enrolments, significantly increasing access to higher education. Yet it has been marginalised in accounts of British higher education. This is partly because it was largely private and for-profit and so distinct from the public education system, while the state declined to play any significant role in its oversight. Consequently, little official data concerning correspondence education has ever been available. This paper constructs an account of the history of correspondence education in the UK in terms of its development as a form of academic and professional provision, and its regulatory framework. The paper also considers the reasons for the eventual demise of the correspondence education sector following changes in teaching methods, and the impact of digital technology.     

Public and Private Provision of Higher Education in Malaysia: A Comparative Analysis

A sample of public universities and private colleges are compared in terms of their enrolments, costs, facilities and quality of provision. The purpose is to illuminate an important policy issue for Malaysia and to contribute to the general debate on the role of the private sector in the provision of higher education. The general findings are that public universities appear to be more efficient in satisfying public demand in terms of quality of provision.     

日本私立高等教育行政管理的特点及启示

在日本,私立高等教育作为高等教育的重要组成部分,为日本高等教育的大众化普及做出了巨大的贡献.文章试图对其民主、高效的管理体制进行分析研究,以期对我国当前的民办高等教育的行政管理有所启示.     

中国民办高等教育研究:回顾、比较与展望

对有关文献的分析发现,随着我国民办高等教育的发展,相应的研究工作和成果也越来越多。由于研究对象的特殊性等原因,我国民办高等教育开处方式的研究较多,实证研究较少;研究主要围绕有关法律和政策问题进行,理论分析不够深入;比较重视研究对象的经济特性,而相对忽视其社会特性。     

美日中私立(民办)高等教育发展的政府经费资助之比较研究

美、日、中三国的私立(民办)高等教育有着不同的发展道路,在各国资助政策框架下政府经费资助状况各异.本文通过一系列数据分析,比较分析了三个国家政府经费资助在私立(民办)高等学校经费来源结构中的比例及其资助经费的特征,指出我国政府在民办高等教育发展过程中应该建立一个稳定的资助体系,并将竞争性与非竞争性资助相结合,通过政府的资助政策介入来平衡当前民办高等教育发展过程中过于强大的市场力量.     

民办高校转型发展的思考

我国民办高等教育发展进入了一个新的时期,转型发展是民办高校突出重围,走向建设高水平大学的必由之路。从发展形势看,民办高校的前景是广阔的、光明的,因为有经济基础,还有最重要的人口基础。转型就是要从粗放式、低水平的重复发展模式,转变到精细化、高水平发展模式。要实现成功转型,民办高校应当坚定信念寻找突破口,调整和优化学科专业结构,建立内涵丰富的应用型人才培养体系,积极探索现代大学制度。     

台湾地区私立高等技职教育发展评析

私立高等技职教育改革是伴随台湾地区私立高等教育改革进行的,是台湾技职教育体系的重要组成部分。经过了私立专科学校为主的起步阶段、技术学院和科技大学为主的发展阶段和全面调整提升阶段,台湾地区私立高等技职教育取得了一定成就,办学规模大幅提升,政策奖助支持逐步完善,但随着改革推进也不断暴露出一些问题,如:招生危机、生源下降、教学质量难以保障、经费短缺、体制和运行不健全等,使其经营发展陷入困境。     

中美民办高等教育成本分担主体的比较研究

民办高等教育受益各方均应是成本分担的主体。美国私立高等教育之所以发达,与其多元化筹措办学经费、合理分担教育成本有直接的关系。我国民办高校的经费主要来源于学费,这种单一的经费来源不利于民办高校的可持续发展。应采取差别收费、政府适当资助、引导社会捐赠、民办高校加强自身服务创收等对策,缓解民办高校的经费压力。     

马来西亚私立高等教育国际化论析

从20世纪80年代开始,马来西亚政府就适时调整了私立高等教育发展政策。在政府的支持与引导下,私立院校通过学分转移、双联课程和邀请外国大学设立分校的方式,不断对教育实践的国际化进行探索,并先后经历了“请进来”和“走出去”两个时期。目前,马来西亚私立高等教育国际化进程不断加快,已经成为亚太地区重要的教育输出国。     

管制与市场:中国民办高校中的政府作用分析

本文首先讨论了完全由政府提供教育所产生的政府失灵现象,由此证明民办教育作为公办教育补充的必然性和合理性。但是由于教育的公益性,因此民间资本兴办教育应该采取一种“准市场”制度,而非完全的市场化运作。在此基础上,分析了政府在民办教育特别是民办高校当中的作用,确定政府管制与准市场化运作各自的边界,讨论了政府的管制范围和管制方法。     

高等教育中的公立与私立问题--以英国为例的研究

从撒切尔夫人开始,英国就进行了广泛私有化改革,但英国的高等教育仍然由政府部门主导。最近的15年间,英国高等教育的财政制度和学校体制发生了巨大的变革,市场机制在英国高等教育中扮演了越来越重要的角色。在高等教育的结构方面,由过去主要以研究型大学为主,发展为多种类型大学并存。在政府对高等教育的管制方式方面,政府通过质量保证局与研究评估局,加强了对大学的绩效管理。在经费方面,一方面加强了绩效拨款,另一方面强调学生分担教育成本。在大学管理方面,在加强政府监督的同时,也进一步扩大了大学的自主权。这表明私营部门在英国高等教育变革中所扮演的角色越来越重要。     

中国民办高等教育市场竞争力研究

随着高等教育市场的不断完善,民办高等教育逐渐开始从公办高等教育的补充成分向拥有独立市场地位的教育主体进行角色转换。而民办高等教育的先天缺陷造成了其仍是高等教育市场的次要成分,这种客观壁垒不利于民办高等教育市场竞争力的提升。本文通过公办高等教育与民办高等教育的现状及发展变化趋势的对比,分析了民办高等教育市场竞争力的现状,探讨了消除高等教育市场内部壁垒,提升民办高等教育市场竞争力的意义,并提出了提升民办高等教育市场竞争力的策略。     

肯尼亚私立高等教育的发展和挑战

2世纪80年代以来,非洲的高等教育危机引发了私立高等教育的发展,肯尼亚是一个典型的代表.肯尼亚私立高等教育历史虽然不长,但发展速度迅猛,已经成为高等教育的重要组成部分.本文立足肯尼亚的现实,分析了该国私立高等教育发展的原因,介绍了其发展现状和私立高校的特色,最后从持续发展的角度提出了私立高等教育面临的挑战,意在全方位地展现肯尼亚私立高等教育发展的概貌.