The fate of hundreds, possibly thousands, of final-year students at private universities across Ghana hangs in the balance because they may not graduate, after the National Accreditation Board revealed that they were admitted without the requisite qualifications. The board suggested that some private universities have lowered entry requirements to bolster their numbers.
An audit of private colleges in Malaysia has unearthed serious quality issues, with only one in three colleges evaluated doing well in a quality assurance process that could be used by the government to approve or deny them licenses to recruit international students.
A burning question for developing countries is whether low quality private higher education is better than none at all, in circumstances where public systems cannot meet soaring student demand. Brazil decided it was and set about rapidly expanding its higher education system, including by opening it to private institutions. Today the country has one of the largest private sectors in the world and it enrols a staggering 75% of all post-secondary students.
Rising demand for post-secondary education, lack of government investment in the sector and the deteriorating quality of many public universities has led to an increase in private players in Indian higher education. But the regulation of private institutions has failed to keep up with their rapid growth, leading to concerns about quality and social equity.
The minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Peter Adwok Nyaba, has issued warning against students who enroll in unlicensed private universities in South Sudan.
El presidente Evo Morales critió a la Universidad Pública y, en cambio, a elogió a las universidades privadas que, según él, tienen mejor imagen, razón por la cual se propuso respaldarlas para contribuir al conocimiento boliviano.
A trade group has filed suit in federal court to block a series of U.S. Department of Education rules that would increase regulatory scrutiny over segments of higher education.
The Department of Labor is considering rule changes that could substantially alter the balance of power between private colleges and their employees' unions, by forcing college administrations and their outside consultants to disclose much more information than previously required on their efforts to influence union elections or contract talks.
Private colleges spent an amount equivalent to about 37 percent of all of their tuition and fee revenue on scholarships for students in the fall of 2010, an all-time high, according to an annual "tuition discounting" survey. The estimated tuition-discount rate for first-time freshmen—42.4 percent—was also a record high, according to a report on the survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
Last week, the government put forward a package of 21 reforms, including an offer to increase funding, improve teacher training, increase university scholarships and help resolve unpaid student loan debts. But students rejected the plan, saying it failed to meet a key demand that private universities invest their income in educational improvements.
Recent years have witnessed a boom in private education opportunities across the Central American isthmus. To some, it seems that private entities cannot open classrooms fast enough. Whereas 30 years ago there were virtually no private universities, today there are more than 151 and every year more emerge.
Greece is facing the prospect of legal action by the European Union unless it satisfies Brussels that it will lift a series of restrictions on private colleges.