Private Provisions a Necessity for Future
of World's Higher Education

Like it or not, demand for higher studies around the world is growing too rapidly for public institutions to sustain. This fact was made abundantly clear at the second World Conference on Higher Education in Paris. Two reports submitted to the conference reveal that private institutions now manage 30 per cent of the world's higher education enrollment. In India, such institutions manage between 60 to 70 per cent.

Over 1,000 participants, including 100 ministers/vice-ministers of education attended the conference held by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In the decade since UNESCO's last conference, enrollment in post-secondary institutions has risen by more than 50 per cent. Private institutions are stepping in to meet this overwhelming demand, leading to several new challenges and questions for conference participants to consider. While the conference communiqué acknowledged that financing ought to be encouraged, it also emphasized the importance of protecting it as a "public good."

Many fear that providers put commercial considerations before academic standards. A trend report prepared by Boston College's Centre for International Higher Education states that, in general, the private sector offers students who might not be qualified for public institutions. They also run on the business model, which can concentrate power in boards and among chief executives, while the faculty holds little authority and students are seen as consumers. Institutions may provide solutions to the problems of availability and cost but their key issue is quality.

Sir John Daniel, president and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning raised the possibility to increase availability, improve quality and decrease cost at the same time. Throughout history it seemed to be impossible but he argues that technology might be opening doors that have never been opened before. He cites open universities like the Indira Gandhi National Open University as a successful example of the use of technology to improve admission, quality and cost.

Kapil Sibal, India's minister of human resource development spoke at the conference supporting the case for all stake holders' involvement while calling upon UNESCO to play a role improving/maintaining the quality, so that these players do not become 'teaching sweat-shops.' "The private sector has to come. But we will have to regulate it and there will be a law soon for it," said Sibal to the Lok Sabha very recently. The quality of educators is of key concern as he seeks to expand involvement in this discipline across India.