University Inc. is not real. However, this is not far from the reality in many countries. Increasing commercialization of higher education causes inequality, has a negative impact on the quality of education and is a threat to independent research. Education is a right, not a commodity.
The share of private institutions in tertiary enrolment is growing rapidly in low and middle-income countries. In Nepal, it grew by 38 percentage points between 2000 and 2015, followed closely by Burundi and Rwanda, where private institutions now account for two in three students
In Indonesia in 2016, 3,422 of 4,274 higher education institutions were not accredited, implying that three-quarters of graduates earned illegitimate diplomas.
In Brazil, 10 for-profit higher education chains educate one-third of the country’s students, nearly doubling their reach in the last five years.
Only 19 % of students in South Africa received governmental support in form of loans and stipends in the academic year 2014/15 targeting the most marginalized, leading to higher education only being financially accessible to the wealthiest and the poorest students, and leaving out the “missing middle”.
According to Global Monitoring Education Report 2017/18, the poorest have hardly any post-secondary education opportunities in low and middle income countries (see figure). We believe this is because the poorest and most marginalized segments of populations still lack access to quality basic education.
As access to quality primary and secondary education has improved during the last decades we have seen a trend of rapidly increasing enrollment rates in higher education. This is the case in most countries, while many of the least developed countries lag behind, mainly in Africa and Central Asia.
The poor have hardly any post-secondary education opportunities in low and middle income countries. (click image to enlarge)
As access to primary and secondary education has increased for children and youth globally they are now knocking on the door to higher education. Many countries struggle to keep up with this growing demand. Enrolment in private higher education institutions is growing rapidly in low and middle income countries to meet this development.
States are incapable of or lack political will to finance the expansion of higher education. This has resulted in an opening for private actors to expand. Many states have also reformed public education institutions by increasing student fees, overfilling lecture halls and reducing research activities in favor of teaching and thereby compromised quality. Increased student fees is also a policy embraced by international policy-makers, like Gordon Brown’s Education Commission.
The increased trend of enrolment in private higher education institutions also relates to the important issue of quality assurance. An UNESCO-led process planned to finish in 2019 aims at creating a global framework for quality assurance and student mobility.
From a redistributive perspective, some might say that public spending on higher education is riddled with dilemmas. Generally, youth from middle and upper-class backgrounds qualify to attend higher education, while youth from poorer backgrounds are generally barred from accessing higher education because of lack of economic means, and/or lack of quality primary and secondary schooling. Should states provide cheap or free higher education to privileged youth? By both investing in quality primary and secondary education for all, in addition to expanding access to higher education we believe countries make a sound investment in our common future.
Private higher education institutions are diverse and can be divided into elite-institutions (typically found in the U.S.), religious or ideal (non-profit) institutions and for profit institutions. It is the latest category where we have seen the biggest expansion the latest years because governments don’t cater for the growing number of students graduating from secondary education, and where quality is often low. In Colombia and other Latin-American countries, for-profit, low-quality higher education institutions are often referred to as “Garage Universities” and become the only option for students not accessing grants.
Research without immediate economic benefits are less prioritized, and states struggle to fund research that can lead to new knowledge and innovation. Universities turn to the private sector to fund research and education. It is difficult to assess how and when research paid by private actors is skewed in any way. We know it is happening. At the same time, in some countries, ties between state and state-funded universities are too tight in a way that makes it difficult to assess whether state priorities also affect research priorities. In any of these circumstances, lack of tenure for scholars, and legislation promoting academic freedom further threaten their ability to challenge conventional knowledge and dogmas.
Colombia
“Higher education in Colombia is dominated by private actors. 70% of universities are private and the rest are public. There are two types of private actors – a few elite institutions and really bad private ones where people who can’t pay as much go”.
Piedad Ortega (ASPU – Union for lecturers in Colombia)
Zimbabwe
Over the last years, higher education in Zimbabwe has been commercialized. Even state institutions, which are supposed to be free and accessible for everyone, are charging high fees. Many people finish their studies after 6 or 8 years, as many fail to pay a certain semester or a certain year”.
Samuel Gwenzu (ZINASU – Zimbabwean Students Union)
Increased focus on access to quality higher education in Norwegian development policy.
Increased spending on higher education through initiatives where Norway already are involved (NORHED, NORPART, NORGLOBAL-2).
15% of the funds for development cooperation from Norway should be earmarked to education by 2020.