1 - Private Surge amid Public Dominance in Higher Education: The African Perspective
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 5 No. 2-3 (2007): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Abstract
This article lays a foundation for the debates that follow in the rest of the volume. It particularly focuses on the broad pertinent issues such as the historical develop- ment of private higher education in Africa. While we may largely talk about ‘pri- vate surge’, it argues that this may be a case of ‘resurgence’ as antecedents of private higher education existed at the same time as the establishment of public sector institutions or even before in some instances. The article also explores is- sues of the definition of private higher education as a way of preparing the reader to understand what the rest of the articles in the volume refer to when discussing the subject. It then discusses underlying factors in the establishment and growth of private higher education, pointing to issues that seem to be unique to the conti- nent and other developing countries. It then concludes by arguing that private higher education has a future in the continent, especially because it is required by the systems of higher education and the challenges and lessons this poses for governments. The article draws extensively from the rest of the articles in the volume, partly as a way of introducing their debates but also as an illustration of the richness of knowledge they contain, and it also draws from other international literature.
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- Altbach, P. G., 1999, ‘Private Higher Education: Themes and Variations in Comparative Perspective’ in Altbach, P. G. (ed.) Private Prometheus: Private HigherEducation and Development in the 21st Century, Chestnut Hill: Centre for International Higher Education, School of Education, Boston College.
- Altbach, P. G., 1996, ‘Patterns in Higher Education Development: Towards the Year 2000’ in Morsy, Z. & Altbach, P. G. (eds.) Higher Education in an Inter- national Perspective: Critical Issues, New York and London: Garland Pub- lishing, Inc.
- Ajayi, J.F.A., Goma, Lameck, K.H.G. & Johnson, G. A., 1996, The African Expe- rience with Higher Education. Ghana, London and Athens: The Association of African Universities, James Currey and Ohio University Press.
- Assie-Lumumba, N’Dri, T., 2004, ‘Sustaining Home-Grown Innovations in Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Critical Reflection’, Journal of Interna- tional Cooperation in Education 7(1), pp.71-83.
- Banya, K., 2001, ‘Are Private Universities the Solution to the Higher Education Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa?’ Higher Education Policy, 14, pp.161-174.
- Coombe, T., 2001, ‘Thoughts on the Public Policy Toward Private Provision of Education and Training’, paper delivered at the 13th Annual IPM/APPETD HRD Education and Training Conference, Boksburg, South Africa.
- Council on Higher Education (CHE), 2001, Higher Education Quality Commit- tee Founding Document, Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.
- Editorial, 2003, Journal of Higher Education in Africa. 1(1), Fall.
- Geiger, R. L., 1988, ‘Public and Private Sectors in Higher Education: A Compari- son of International Patterns’, Higher Education, 17(6), pp. 699-711.
- Geiger, R. L., 1986, Private Sectors in Higher Education, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
- Kiatev, I., 1999, Private Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A re-examination of theories and concepts related to its development and finance, Paris: UNESCO, IIEP.
- Lazarus, S. L. (ed.), 2002, ‘IFC and its Role in Globalisation: Highlights from IFC’s Participant Meeting, Washington, D.C., 6-7 June.
- Lee, M. N. N., 1999, ‘Corporatisation, Privatisation, and Internationalisation of Higher Education in Malaysia’ in Altbach, P. G. (ed.) Private Prometheus: Private higher education and development in the 21st century, Boston Col- lege: Boston College Centre for International Higher Education and Green- wood Publishing Company.
- Levy, D. C., 2003, ‘Profits and Practicality: How South Africa Epitomizes the Global Surge in Commercial Private Higher Education. Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)’, February, Working Paper No. 2, University at Albany, State University of New York, from http://www.albany.edu/dept/eaps/prophe/publication/paper.html#WP2.
- Levy, D. C., 1999, ‘When Private Higher Education Does Not Bring Organisa- tional Diversity: Case Material from Argentina, China, and Hungary, in Altbach, P. G. (ed.) Private Prometheus: Private higher education and development in the 21st century, Boston College: Boston College Centre for International Higher Education and Greenwood Publishing Company.
- Levy, D. C., 1996, Building the Third Sector: Latin America’s Private Research Centers and Nonprofit Development, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. Levy, D. C., 1986, Higher Education and the State in Latin America: Private Challenges to Public Dominance, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
- Mabizela, M., 2005, The Business of Higher Education: A Study of Public-Pri- vate Partnerships in the Provision of Higher Education in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press.
- Mabizela, M., 2001, Towards a Contextual Analysis of Structural Patterns of Pri- vate-Public Higher Education in South Africa, M.Ed. Dissertation (unpub- lished), University of the Western Cape, Bellville.
- Mario, M., Fry, P., Levey, L. & Chilundo, A., 2003, Higher Education in Mozam- bique, Oxford and Maputo: James Currey Ltd and Impresa & Livraria Universitaria, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane.
- Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE) at http:// www.albany.edu/~prophe/ Subotzky, G., 1999, ‘Alternatives to the Entrepreneurial University: New Modes of Knowledge Production in Community Service Programmes, Higher Educa- tion, 38, pp. 401-440.
- Tilak, J., 1996, ‘The Privatization of Higher Education’ in Morsy, Z. & Altbach, P. G. (eds.). Higher Education in an International Perspective: Critical Is- sues, New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc.
- Teferra, D. & Altbach, P. G., 2004, ‘African Higher Education: Challenges for the 21st Century’, Higher Education, 47, pp. 21-50.
- Tertiary Education Council (TEC), 2005, Tertiary Education Policy for Botswana: Challenges and Choices, consultation paper prepared by the Working Group on the Tertiary Education Policy for Botswana, Gaberone: Min. of Education.
- Van Lutsenburg Maas, J., 2001, ‘Investing in Private Higher Education in Devel- oping Countries: Recent Experiences of the International Finance Corpora- tion’, Institute of Economic Affairs, September, pp. 30-37.
- Wesonga, D., 2003. ‘Private Provision of Higher Education in Kenya: An analysis of trends and issues in four select universities’, Conference Proceedings of Meeting the Challenge of Higher Education in Africa: The Role of Private Universities, hosted by United States International University, Nairobi, Kenya. Wesonga, D., Ngome, C., & Wawire, V., 2003, The Role and Development of Private Universities in Higher Education in Kenya. Final Report.
- World Bank, 1989, ‘Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth’ The World Bank, Washington D.C.
References
Altbach, P. G., 1999, ‘Private Higher Education: Themes and Variations in Comparative Perspective’ in Altbach, P. G. (ed.) Private Prometheus: Private HigherEducation and Development in the 21st Century, Chestnut Hill: Centre for International Higher Education, School of Education, Boston College.
Altbach, P. G., 1996, ‘Patterns in Higher Education Development: Towards the Year 2000’ in Morsy, Z. & Altbach, P. G. (eds.) Higher Education in an Inter- national Perspective: Critical Issues, New York and London: Garland Pub- lishing, Inc.
Ajayi, J.F.A., Goma, Lameck, K.H.G. & Johnson, G. A., 1996, The African Expe- rience with Higher Education. Ghana, London and Athens: The Association of African Universities, James Currey and Ohio University Press.
Assie-Lumumba, N’Dri, T., 2004, ‘Sustaining Home-Grown Innovations in Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Critical Reflection’, Journal of Interna- tional Cooperation in Education 7(1), pp.71-83.
Banya, K., 2001, ‘Are Private Universities the Solution to the Higher Education Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa?’ Higher Education Policy, 14, pp.161-174.
Coombe, T., 2001, ‘Thoughts on the Public Policy Toward Private Provision of Education and Training’, paper delivered at the 13th Annual IPM/APPETD HRD Education and Training Conference, Boksburg, South Africa.
Council on Higher Education (CHE), 2001, Higher Education Quality Commit- tee Founding Document, Pretoria: Council on Higher Education.
Editorial, 2003, Journal of Higher Education in Africa. 1(1), Fall.
Geiger, R. L., 1988, ‘Public and Private Sectors in Higher Education: A Compari- son of International Patterns’, Higher Education, 17(6), pp. 699-711.
Geiger, R. L., 1986, Private Sectors in Higher Education, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Kiatev, I., 1999, Private Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A re-examination of theories and concepts related to its development and finance, Paris: UNESCO, IIEP.
Lazarus, S. L. (ed.), 2002, ‘IFC and its Role in Globalisation: Highlights from IFC’s Participant Meeting, Washington, D.C., 6-7 June.
Lee, M. N. N., 1999, ‘Corporatisation, Privatisation, and Internationalisation of Higher Education in Malaysia’ in Altbach, P. G. (ed.) Private Prometheus: Private higher education and development in the 21st century, Boston Col- lege: Boston College Centre for International Higher Education and Green- wood Publishing Company.
Levy, D. C., 2003, ‘Profits and Practicality: How South Africa Epitomizes the Global Surge in Commercial Private Higher Education. Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)’, February, Working Paper No. 2, University at Albany, State University of New York, from http://www.albany.edu/dept/eaps/prophe/publication/paper.html#WP2.
Levy, D. C., 1999, ‘When Private Higher Education Does Not Bring Organisa- tional Diversity: Case Material from Argentina, China, and Hungary, in Altbach, P. G. (ed.) Private Prometheus: Private higher education and development in the 21st century, Boston College: Boston College Centre for International Higher Education and Greenwood Publishing Company.
Levy, D. C., 1996, Building the Third Sector: Latin America’s Private Research Centers and Nonprofit Development, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. Levy, D. C., 1986, Higher Education and the State in Latin America: Private Challenges to Public Dominance, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Mabizela, M., 2005, The Business of Higher Education: A Study of Public-Pri- vate Partnerships in the Provision of Higher Education in South Africa, Cape Town: HSRC Press.
Mabizela, M., 2001, Towards a Contextual Analysis of Structural Patterns of Pri- vate-Public Higher Education in South Africa, M.Ed. Dissertation (unpub- lished), University of the Western Cape, Bellville.
Mario, M., Fry, P., Levey, L. & Chilundo, A., 2003, Higher Education in Mozam- bique, Oxford and Maputo: James Currey Ltd and Impresa & Livraria Universitaria, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane.
Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE) at http:// www.albany.edu/~prophe/ Subotzky, G., 1999, ‘Alternatives to the Entrepreneurial University: New Modes of Knowledge Production in Community Service Programmes, Higher Educa- tion, 38, pp. 401-440.
Tilak, J., 1996, ‘The Privatization of Higher Education’ in Morsy, Z. & Altbach, P. G. (eds.). Higher Education in an International Perspective: Critical Is- sues, New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc.
Teferra, D. & Altbach, P. G., 2004, ‘African Higher Education: Challenges for the 21st Century’, Higher Education, 47, pp. 21-50.
Tertiary Education Council (TEC), 2005, Tertiary Education Policy for Botswana: Challenges and Choices, consultation paper prepared by the Working Group on the Tertiary Education Policy for Botswana, Gaberone: Min. of Education.
Van Lutsenburg Maas, J., 2001, ‘Investing in Private Higher Education in Devel- oping Countries: Recent Experiences of the International Finance Corpora- tion’, Institute of Economic Affairs, September, pp. 30-37.
Wesonga, D., 2003. ‘Private Provision of Higher Education in Kenya: An analysis of trends and issues in four select universities’, Conference Proceedings of Meeting the Challenge of Higher Education in Africa: The Role of Private Universities, hosted by United States International University, Nairobi, Kenya. Wesonga, D., Ngome, C., & Wawire, V., 2003, The Role and Development of Private Universities in Higher Education in Kenya. Final Report.
World Bank, 1989, ‘Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth’ The World Bank, Washington D.C.