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Vol. 6 No. 1 (2008): Journal of Higher Education in Africa

Issue Published : March 13, 2023

4 - The Private Provision of Higher Education in Ethiopia: Growth, Challenges, and Prospects*

https://doi.org/10.57054/jhea.v6i1.1623
Kasirim Nwuke
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1047-5854

Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol. 6 No. 1 (2008): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Article Published : November 13, 2008

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Abstract

Since the overthrow of the Derg in 1991, the government of Ethiopia has em- barked on a number of reforms of the higher education sector. These reforms have been driven by the need to address geographical and structural imbalances in the higher education system, the increasingly sophisticated demand of both the public and expanding private sector for high quality employees, and the chang- ing context of international economic competition. The key elements of these reforms are: expanding access; addressing the geographical distribution of ac- cess; improving quality; and encouraging competition in the provision of higher education by allowing private provision. Since these reforms were enacted, the private higher education sector has grown significantly, providing both enhanced access to higher education and diversification of the higher education curricula. The emergence of a pluralistic higher education sector presents threats and op- portunities and has, as a consequence, generated considerable public policy de- bate in the country. However, there has been very little analysis of the sector to serve as a basis for decision-making. This paper seeks to provide information on the private higher education sector in Ethiopia by examining the general characteristics of the private provision sector and its contribution to expanding access and on the creation of new knowl- edge through research. It also examines the likely impact of plural providers on quality and the policy options adopted by the government. The analysis shows that the private sector is making a significant contribution to the expansion of higher education in Ethiopia, especially with respect to expanding access to women and the production of intermediate-level technical skills that the expanding Ethio- pian economy needs. Secondly, due to the relatively small size of private provid- ers and the tight regulatory restrictions on the types of courses and programmes that they offer, private higher education is unlikely to threaten the average qual- ity of higher education in Ethiopia in the short term. Concerns at this time about quality may be premature. However, due to capital and capacity constraints, the scope of the sector to contribute to the creation of new knowledge is limited. Finally, the paper argues that the future of private provision in Ethiopia depends critically on the growth of the public sector. In the short to medium term, it is the public higher education sector that will provide the bulk of the skills needed to staff the private provision sector. It will also depend on the growth of the Ethio- pian economy, on the policies of the government especially in respect of expan- sion of the public provision sector, on the behaviour, performance and conduct of public higher education institutions and on the easing of regulatory restrictions. The paper also points to the need for additional research to better understand the constraints and possibilities of the sector.

Keywords

overthrow of the Derg Private Provision Ethiopia

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Nwuke, K. (2008). 4 - The Private Provision of Higher Education in Ethiopia: Growth, Challenges, and Prospects*. Journal of Higher Education in Africa, 6(1), 71–94. https://doi.org/10.57054/jhea.v6i1.1623
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References
  1. Altbach, P. G., 1999, Private Prometheus: Private Higher Education and Devel- opment in the 21st Century, Center for International Higher Education, School of Education, Boston College.
  2. Bedasso, B. E., 2006, Human Capital Investment and Labor Market Signaling in Developing Countries: Evidences from Ethiopia. Unpublished Masters The- sis, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen.
  3. Bourne, R. (ed.), 2000, Universities and Development: A Report on the socio- economic role of universities in the developing countries of the Common- wealth, London: Association of Commonwealth Universities.
  4. Castro, C.D. and D.C. Levy, 2000, Myth, Reality, and Reform: Higher Education Policy in Latin America, Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank. Ministry of Education, 2005, Education Sector Development Program (ESDP) III (2005/06–2010/11: Program Action Plan. Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
  5. Government of Ethiopia, Ministry of Education (MoE), Education Statistics An- nual Abstract 1996 E.C., 2003/04, Education Management Information Sys- tems, January 2005.
  6. Government of Ethiopia, Ministry of Education (MoE), Education Statistics An- nual Abstract 1994 E.C., 2001/02, Education Management Information Sys- tems, September 2002.
  7. Government of Ethiopia, Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA), 2007, Information about Accredited and Pre-accredited Institu- tions, at www.higher.edu.et
  8. Government of Ethiopia, Ministry of Education (MoE), Higher Education Strat- egy Centre (HESC) 2005, Interim Report: Options for Support of the Private Higher Education Sector in Ethiopia, November at www.higher.edu.et
  9. Haile-Gebriel, A., 2004, ‘Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships for Development of Competitive Higher Education in Ethiopia: Some Reflections on Private
  10. Higher Education’ in the Proceedings of the Second National Conference on Private Higher Education in Ethiopia, July 2004.
  11. Kapu, D. and P. B. Mehta. 2004, ‘Indian Higher Education Reform: From Half- Baked Socialism to Half-Baked Capitalism’, Harvard University Center for International Development (CID) Working Paper No. 108.
  12. Kassahun, A and Zeleke, H., 2006, ‘Policy Options on Public–Private Partnership for the Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions’, paper prepared for the Higher Education Strategy Centre/HERQA, Government of Ethiopia at www.higher.edu.et
  13. Marin, J. P. A., 2001, ‘Educational Reform in Chile’ in CEPAL Review 73, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
  14. Nwuke, K., 2003, ‘Higher Education, Economic Growth, and Information Tech- nology in Africa: Some Challenges and Issues’ in Beebe, M.A; Kouakou, K.M; Oyeyinka B.O; and Rao, M (eds.). AfricaDotEdu: IT Opportunities and Higher Education in Africa, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.
  15. Nwuke, K., 2001, ‘Issues in higher education, economic growth, and information technology’, Background Paper, Ad-Hoc Expert Group Meeting, Reforms in Higher Education and the Use of Information Technology (19-21 November), Nairobi, Kenya, 16 pp.
  16. Nwuke, K., 2005, ‘Emerging Prometheus: Private Provision of Higher Education in Africa’, Scholar (Journal of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Univer- sities), September 2005.
  17. Souza, P. R., 2001, ‘Education and Development in Brazil, 1995–2000’ in CEPAL Review 73, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Task Force on Higher Education and Society, 2000, Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise, Washington, D.C: The World Bank.
  18. The World Bank, 2002, Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education. Washington, DC: The World Bank.
  19. The World Bank, 2003, Higher Education Development for Ethiopia: Pursuing the Vision, World Bank Sector Study, Washington, DC: The World Bank.
  20. Teferra, D. and Philip G. Altbach, eds., 2003, African Higher Education: An In- ternational Reference Handbook, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  21. Yizengaw, T. (n.d), ‘Education Financing and Cost Sharing in the Ethiopian Higher Education Landscape’, accessed at www.gse.buffalo.edu/org/inthigheredfinance/Publications/Teshome _01-31-07.pdf
  22. Woldehanna, T. and Jones, N., 2006, ‘How Pro-Poor Is Ethiopia’s Education Ex- pansion? A Benefit Incident Analysis of Education Since 1995/96, Young Lives’, Save the Children UK, London.
  23. Wolf, A., 2002, Does Education Matter? Myths About Education and Economic Growth, London: Penguin Books.
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References


Altbach, P. G., 1999, Private Prometheus: Private Higher Education and Devel- opment in the 21st Century, Center for International Higher Education, School of Education, Boston College.

Bedasso, B. E., 2006, Human Capital Investment and Labor Market Signaling in Developing Countries: Evidences from Ethiopia. Unpublished Masters The- sis, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen.

Bourne, R. (ed.), 2000, Universities and Development: A Report on the socio- economic role of universities in the developing countries of the Common- wealth, London: Association of Commonwealth Universities.

Castro, C.D. and D.C. Levy, 2000, Myth, Reality, and Reform: Higher Education Policy in Latin America, Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank. Ministry of Education, 2005, Education Sector Development Program (ESDP) III (2005/06–2010/11: Program Action Plan. Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Government of Ethiopia, Ministry of Education (MoE), Education Statistics An- nual Abstract 1996 E.C., 2003/04, Education Management Information Sys- tems, January 2005.

Government of Ethiopia, Ministry of Education (MoE), Education Statistics An- nual Abstract 1994 E.C., 2001/02, Education Management Information Sys- tems, September 2002.

Government of Ethiopia, Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA), 2007, Information about Accredited and Pre-accredited Institu- tions, at www.higher.edu.et

Government of Ethiopia, Ministry of Education (MoE), Higher Education Strat- egy Centre (HESC) 2005, Interim Report: Options for Support of the Private Higher Education Sector in Ethiopia, November at www.higher.edu.et

Haile-Gebriel, A., 2004, ‘Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships for Development of Competitive Higher Education in Ethiopia: Some Reflections on Private

Higher Education’ in the Proceedings of the Second National Conference on Private Higher Education in Ethiopia, July 2004.

Kapu, D. and P. B. Mehta. 2004, ‘Indian Higher Education Reform: From Half- Baked Socialism to Half-Baked Capitalism’, Harvard University Center for International Development (CID) Working Paper No. 108.

Kassahun, A and Zeleke, H., 2006, ‘Policy Options on Public–Private Partnership for the Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions’, paper prepared for the Higher Education Strategy Centre/HERQA, Government of Ethiopia at www.higher.edu.et

Marin, J. P. A., 2001, ‘Educational Reform in Chile’ in CEPAL Review 73, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Nwuke, K., 2003, ‘Higher Education, Economic Growth, and Information Tech- nology in Africa: Some Challenges and Issues’ in Beebe, M.A; Kouakou, K.M; Oyeyinka B.O; and Rao, M (eds.). AfricaDotEdu: IT Opportunities and Higher Education in Africa, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.

Nwuke, K., 2001, ‘Issues in higher education, economic growth, and information technology’, Background Paper, Ad-Hoc Expert Group Meeting, Reforms in Higher Education and the Use of Information Technology (19-21 November), Nairobi, Kenya, 16 pp.

Nwuke, K., 2005, ‘Emerging Prometheus: Private Provision of Higher Education in Africa’, Scholar (Journal of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Univer- sities), September 2005.

Souza, P. R., 2001, ‘Education and Development in Brazil, 1995–2000’ in CEPAL Review 73, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Task Force on Higher Education and Society, 2000, Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise, Washington, D.C: The World Bank.

The World Bank, 2002, Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

The World Bank, 2003, Higher Education Development for Ethiopia: Pursuing the Vision, World Bank Sector Study, Washington, DC: The World Bank.

Teferra, D. and Philip G. Altbach, eds., 2003, African Higher Education: An In- ternational Reference Handbook, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Yizengaw, T. (n.d), ‘Education Financing and Cost Sharing in the Ethiopian Higher Education Landscape’, accessed at www.gse.buffalo.edu/org/inthigheredfinance/Publications/Teshome _01-31-07.pdf

Woldehanna, T. and Jones, N., 2006, ‘How Pro-Poor Is Ethiopia’s Education Ex- pansion? A Benefit Incident Analysis of Education Since 1995/96, Young Lives’, Save the Children UK, London.

Wolf, A., 2002, Does Education Matter? Myths About Education and Economic Growth, London: Penguin Books.

Author Biography

Kasirim Nwuke

 Chief, MDGs/Poverty Analysis & Monitoring Section, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Ethiopia.

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Journal of Higher Education in Africa

 

The Journal publishes research articles, think pieces and critiques on contemporary issues on higher education in the continent with special emphasis on issues of research and policy.
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