OECD Conference - Paris – 8th- 9th December 2008
What Role for Private Higher
Education in Mass Systems?
Pedro Nuno Teixeira
CIPES and Faculdade de Economia – U Porto
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
Private Higher Ed. - An old and new reality
• Long historical roots
• The increasing public dominance
• European tradition and its influence
• Resilient role of religion
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
Recent expansion of Private HE:
• Massive expansion of HE systems
• Diversification of HE demand and supply
• Increasing constraints on public funding
• Changes in regulation of the public sector
• Public vs. private
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
Total number
of students
Public
Institutions
(%)
Government
dependent private
institutions (%)
Independent
private
institutions (%)
1.040.153
97.8
0.3
1.9
394.427
44.6
55.4
0.0
France
2.201.201
83.4
2.5
14.0
Germany
2.289.465
91.1
9.0
0.0
Greece
653.003
100.0
0.0
0.0
Hungary
438.702
85.0
15.0
0.0
Japan
4.084.861
20.1
0,00
79.9
Korea
3.204.036
19.9
0.0
80.1
Mexico
2.446.726
67.3
0.0
32.7
Norway
214.711
86.4
13.6
0.0
2.145.687
69.2
0.0
30.8
367.312
75.0
0.0
25.0
2.336.111
0.0
100.0
0.0
17.487.475
74.5
0.0
25.5
Australia
Belgium
Poland
Portugal
United Kingdom
United States
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
Expectations upon the emergence of Private
HE:
• Diversification of Supply
• Expansion with lower financial burden
• Protection of public elite sector
• Competition, Emulation, Responsiveness
• Greater internal and external efficiency
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
Expansion of HE in Portugal – some data
SubSector
Public
Year
Private
1996/97
2001/02
2005/06
1996/97
2001/02
2005/06
1st Cycle
21,576
25,504
32,672
13,847
15,717
16,210
2nd Cycle
1,655
2,207
4,248
229
331
571
3rd Cycle
231
585
1,094
1
9
30
23,462
28,296
38,014
14,077
16,057
16,811
TOTAL
Public
Total
R&D
units
963
Uni. Poly.
803
61
Private
Total
Catholic
Univ
Other
Uni
Poly.
Total
864
40
26
33
99
Private sector
Public sector
Poly.
Poly.
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
Scientific area
Univ.
Univ.
Education
25.0
1.3
9.1
8.2
Arts and Humanities
4.9
8.0
5.2
11.6
Social Sc., Law
17.2
51.6
27.9
28.2
2.5
5.0
1.6
13.3
Engineering and Technical
2.8
14.6
30.4
22.7
Agriculture
0.0
0.5
2.7
2.6
Health and Social Protection
54.3
12.4
16.5
8.5
Services
2.3
6.6
6.6
4.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Sciences, Informatics
Total
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
Recent Private HE – Some stylized facts
• Massification and demand-absorption
• Ambiguous relationship with public authorities
• A diverse sector in size and institutional profile
• Greater regional and disciplinary concentration
• Quality concerns: research, staff, academic pedigree
©Pedro Teixeira – CIPES and FEP–UP
What Role For Private HE?
An integrated approach towards Private HE
• Blurring boundaries Public-Private
• Stimulating complementarity rather than competition
Changing the Profile of Private HE
• Quantitative vs. qualitative expansion
• Tighter competition in student’s market
• Academic and Political Legitimacy