Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management Vol. 30, No. 3, August 2008, 215–229
Globalisation and higher education funding policy shifts in Kenya
Gerald Wangenge-Ouma*
Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa This paper identifies, examines and discusses higher education funding policy shifts that have taken place in Kenya. The paper argues that even though Kenya’s higher education funding policy shifts, from free higher education to cost-sharing, and privatisation and commercialisation, are (to a greater extent) products of the country’s encounter with globalisation, local social, political and economic dynamics have been of equally significant influence. Thus, the country’s higher
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Thus, globalisation is a dynamic of various interlinked processes operating on a planetary scale. The various dynamics of globalisation, always operating simultaneously, have serious implications for, and influences on, higher education (Altbach, 2004; Maasen & Cloete, 2002; Marginson & Rhoades, 2002; Vaira, 2004). For this paper, the important question is: How are the forces driving the (financial) restructuring of higher education being driven by processes of globalisation? The dynamics of globalisation circumscribe the various education policy shifts witnessed recently in education, in general, and higher education, in particular. Therefore, globalisation has become a key concept with which to interpret, inter alia, policy changes affecting higher education. Some of the aspects of globalisation impacting upon higher education include the hegemonic rise of English as the language of scientific communication (Altbach, 2004), advancements in information communication and technology, and the hegemonic rise of neo-liberalism as the de facto economic mode of the late twentieth century and the twenty-first century (Castells, 1996; Friedman, 1999; Fukuyama, 1992; Scholte, 1997; 2000). As far as higher education funding policies are concerned, the establishment of neo-liberalism as the de facto economic mode could be said to be of the greatest impact (Carnoy, 2000; Henry et al. 2001; Maasen &
In the documentary, “Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk,” explains how going to college is part of the American dream and is a rite of passage. Nowadays, college education is a necessity to survive and reach to middle class. Unfortunately, in this documentary it is mention how teachers concern more on conducting research to increase their pay rather providing quality teaching for the students, which is clearly unfair. The main issue that higher education consist of is the cost of it. In the first article, it stresses how college tuition’s prices have soared sky-rocket over time and makes it very difficult for people to afford this privilege. In the second article, it is about how which college one attends to makes a difference in
College, a universal, fundamental concept that the globe utilizes. Through a wide array of variations, countries across the world have developed their own meaning of what higher education is. However, the underlying tone of it all is the same, furthering one’s knowledge. With a vast number of schools from a broad range of locations trying to pull the population in, colleges compete with different tactics ranging from education relevance to evaluation. Consequently, problems have arisen from these approaches, addressed along the lines in an article called “A New Course” by Magdalena Kay, an associate professor of English at the University of Victoria and an educational film, “Ivory Tower” by Andrew Rossi, a graduate of Harvard and Yale University and a filmmaker. Furthermore, these problems change the meaning of college itself, no longer seen as an education, but as a commodity.
Mark Engler “Why is college so damned expensive?” New Internationalist, 5 July 2017. Available form: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 17, 2017
The universities are predominantly government-owned and relay on government funding for their main source of income to run their everyday business and they argue that the reduced funding would bring a crisis in higher education system (King 2001, p. 191). On the other hand, government of all political persuasions seems to accept university funding as trivial government agenda. Even though, recently elected coalition government has announced an increase in research funding, the package seems too little compare to recent university funding cut (King 2001, p. 191). The recent proposal to cut university
In the essay, “The Uses and Abuses of University,” history professors Ken Coats and Bill Morrison approach the heightening disconnect between the concept of supply and demand in their exploration of university degree output versus realistic economic need. Geared towards institutions, parents, and those with a passion for education, Coats and Morrison’s discourse aims to guide the collective educational wheel back to where it originated. Through the use of a personable narrative, a plethora of credible statistics, and a thorough then verses now comparison, the narrators effectively place a necessity upon a revision of the system.
In the United States, literacy rate for both female and male sits at 99 per cent. This percentage translates into Americans having the ability to read and write and to use basic numeracy. However, over the past years the United States,in comparison to other developed nations has been constantly ranked in the bottom tier for low educational attainment. According to Pearson- the world’s leading learning company-, United States ranks fourteenth out of forty countries in the category of “cognitive skills and educational attainment”. This decline is sadly portrayed through the “32 million adults in the U.S. [that] can not read, [which is] 14 percent of the population...[as well as the] 19 percent of high school graduates who can not read”. Moreover, the rising inability of American students to compete in the global job market is yet another indicator of the growing failure of US education system. There is little emphasis on learning foreign languages or in understanding the relations and operations of other countries. This void in the international job market is now being filled with students from South Korea, Poland, United Kingdom, and Finland. In order for the United States to start effectively competing in the international job market, the spotlight should shift away from the ‘liberal arts versus technical universities’ debate or from the concerns over the debt students accrue whilst attending universities. Indeed, these are problems that need to be fixed but these problems
There United States boasts a system of higher education in which there are numerous options for completing a degree. Derek Bok (2013) illustrates the main differences between research and comprehensive institutions, 4-year colleges and universities, community colleges, and for-profit institutions. He then explores the characteristics that make American institutions of higher learning different from other nations’ models, and the strengths and weaknesses of the American system. These special characteristics include the diversity of institutions, the role of government, sources of funding, and the high level of competition between institutions. Competition and the importance of accurate, available data emerge as the main themes of this chapter.
The article on ‘An overview of higher education in America’ reviews the financing, students and institutions of higher education. They provide a general picture that reflects the changes that have taken place in higher education and America and the public policies that predict its future. The
This, in conjunction with several other factors such as severe underfunding from both national and state governments, has forced post-secondary educational institutions to find funding from alternative sources. The largest of these alternative sources are corporations, driving one of the most radical changes in the operation and function of the American university in its entire history. This corporatization of higher education takes away the empowerment of students by being literate in multiple intellectual traditions and replaces it with the allocation of a very narrow skill-set. “Part of the corporatization . . . is imposing a business model which measures success in extremely narrow, commercial terms. What’s good for simply gaining material wealth, contributing to profits and so on” (Chomsky). Giroux writes that “higher education is defaulting on its obligations to offer young people a quality and broad-based education. This is true in part because the liberal arts and humanities have fallen out of favor in a culture that equates education with training.”
Globalization has accompanied by increasing numbers of people moving across the borders for various reasons. The clear majority crossing the border are students. This is due to the fact that it is not only encouraged by the government but for the purpose of a higher education and it is also has become part of the “global marketplace, with the World Trade Organization.” In 2004, approximately 2 million students were enrolled in institutes of higher education outside their country or origin. This number just keeps increasing over time. There are still people that leave the country of citizenship and move to another country. According to Doty’s article this is due to the fact that “some types of immigration are also welcome and facilitated
In today’s modern world higher education is a touchy yet never-ending subject of study, argumentative claims, theories, hypothesis, and ideologies which believe educational inequalities exist and have both cause and effect relationships due to politics and income inevitably affecting both society and social structures. However, the same is said vice versa that both politics and income cause educational inequalities. Through the subject matter, I will explore these issues and concerns as well as provide credible sources for which a college prospect, present college student, and graduate students whom could gain more insight and knowledge of the ongoing dilemma and truths that are underlying within educational attainment in regard to its cause and effects directed toward higher education and society as a whole.
For the last couple of decades the United States faced some serious problems within its higher education. Despite the fact that many US universities are considered to be one of the best in the world, there are many unknown problems that come with it. Unfortunately, today’s US higher education can’t guarantee its students the bright bridge into the future. American education became very disparate in terms of its quality, causing the decline in its value. For example, regardless the fact that American’s society faces shortage of qualified workers,after graduation millions of students can’t find a job, while others dropped out and were left with nothing (The Economist, 116). This illustrates that American universities become less efficient with every year, that creates a competition between the US college students and better educated immigrants who occupy many vocations. Notwithstanding the low productivity, universities in the USA are very expensive. According to Ben Branstetters in the past ten years the tuition fees have risen by 80%, making schooling a luxury for the nation. Every year the universities become
From 4416 cities, 195 countries and 7 continents Britain is thought to be one of the worlds most exceptional and fascinating countries to be educated in. In Britain education first began emerging around 1680s, from then onwards the British education system has continued to develop till this day. This has meant that the UK’s education system has become a very successful and inclusive system. According to (Aftab Ali 2016) Britain is thought to have one of the world’s strongest higher education systems. Second after the USA with a score of 98.5. Also, (Aftab Ali 2016) mentions that “European countries emerge as the most-featured than any other continent.” This means that Europe has a global reputation in the eyes of international students. As a result of this global reputation students are attracted to studying in the UK. Furthermore, this essay will discuss the development of the British education system over the last 150 years and it will evaluate the impact of this development on culture and society.
Furthermore, this article explored the relevance and applicability of the OECD framework for postprivatisation control devices of manufacturing and economic infrastructure privatisation for analysis of postprivatisation control devices for higher education. Thus, the analysis in this article added India’s experiences to international education and drawed lessons from international experiences for higher education privatisation in India and other developing countries. The second section of this article provided a brief description of the structure and composition of higher education in Karnataka state. The third section analysed the policy attempts and proposals, and effects of privatisation, in Karnataka’s higher education. In the fourth section, the postprivatisation control devices for improving equity, access, affordability, and quality in the provisioning of higher education services were emphasised. The fifth section concludes with policy implications.
Globalization is the interaction of companies, people, and governments internationally to change and adapt perspective, ideas and resources. As I take the time to observe my surrounding, I realize that globalization has been happening in our everyday life without knowing. Without globalization countries would be limited the resources they have, would decrease security between countries and a negative impact for the countries economy. Ways that globalization has impacted my everyday life in a positive impact would be the things I accomplish, the people I confront and the things I observe.