Continuing our discussions in class about the Bolonia process and the public / private dynamic of higher education, I wanted to post a question for discussion here on the blog. For all of you coming from the US university system, the private sectors presence in institutions of higher education is old news.
In Europe and in particular Spain this in some ways is one of the issues involved with the Bolonia process. Public institutions in Spain since the transition, have provided a service that is free from the profit motive. Universities at times would even run at a loss because they were providing an important service to society. I leave you with this question to debate:
To what extent should a university behave like a commercial enterprise and to what extent should it behave like a public service?
7 comments:
I think that universities should ultimately exist to serve society and to provide a public service. i think this because universities represent higher education - - and education is something that a) i think all people should have the right to pursue and b) a HUGE investment in society because it is through educating people that we are indirectly enriching and enhancing society for all.
however, i don't think that serving society and seeking profit are mutually exclusive. in the states, just because an institution is private, it does not mean that this university does not seek to educate individuals and serve society.
having said this, i dont think that the entire academic world should be comprised of private universities. just like the health care system in spain (from what i know of it) - - the public has access to the socialized heath care system, but if an individual has the means to receive private health care, they also have that option. the socialized heath care system is necessary because it gives all people the right to have access to health care. private health care, though it receives a profit, still seeks to provide health care. this seems to parallel the differences, in my opinion, between public/private universities.
I completely agree with Laura. I think that every individual should have the right to attend university, and I believe that education should be provided by the government…to a degree. I believe that the government should provide public institutions where all people of all ages can attend and learn free or nearly free of cost. That way, if you can not afford to attend a private school, you still have the option of attending a university.
However private institutions should be allowed to be in existence as well. That said, the people have a right to choose to attend the private or public universities if given admission. If people continue to want to go to these private schools, despite the fact that they are operated similar to a commercial business, that is their prerogative and private schools will continue to function as they do today
I suppose it could be due to the fact that up until this semester I have really only been familiar with the U.S. system of higher education, but I do not see a problem with public and private universities coexisting in society. I think that it should be required of a society to have public institutions for higher learning, but I think that it only benefits society if other institutions of education exist as well, contributing to the general education of society by creating a more competitive academic environment (which, whether this appeals to people on an individual basis, you can't argue that having elite private schools such as Harvard, Yale, etc... has harmed U.S. society; quite the opposite I would argue) and gives people more options in their education. I think it is idealistic to hope that no one would profit off of academic institutions, in theory it would be nice if everyone wanted to promote learning for learning's sake, but I don't think that private universities making a profit destroys the university system. Like Laura and Jessie have said, I do not think that making a profit and providing a good education are mutually exclusive.
I think a large part of the problem in Spain and across Europe with the Balonia process is that people have been misinformed, or simply uninformed as to what this change will mean for them. I think that if these changes are made, people who are only familiar with the old system may have a problem at first, but ultimately it seems like a positive change to me.
I think that the educational system at least in the US has some flaws, but also has the right idea. There are state school that offer scholarships and other awards to students that are from that state or received good grades in high school and other ways to pay the tuition. Given the tuition for these schools is ridiculous in the states, the important aspect to remember is that there is competition. People aim to get into these ivy league school and are willing to dish out vast amounts of money because the "better" the education you get awards you more job opportunities. If everyone went to the same school with the same reputation and curriculums then there wouldnt be much of a reason for people to try very hard since they know they are receiving the same kind of education. In the states, people apply themselves more to get better grades to get into better schools. People educate themselves more because of this, and education is key to building social capital.
I agree with everyone so far in most ways. I believe that most importantly, higher education should be attainable to all. By attainable I don't mean free - because with free education it seems inevitable that the quality of education would be lower. However, I believe it should be affordable, and if not, there should be scholarships and programs supporting those who struggle in the financial area. (Which there are in the states).
Education is vital to a progressive society. It is in our best interests (not to mention in the interests of our future generations) to have as many as possible educate themselves. So I would say, use whatever means it takes to education the public.
Private Universities add a lot to a society. They create the competitive aspect. With their existence and higher expectations (such as ivy league schools), students believe that it DOES matter how hard you work and there is always something to strive further for.
Answering the question, I would lean towards having both. Education should be a public service because the students are doing a service to their community by educating themselves and hopefully learning and growing to give back. But at the same time, as is with many issues, if one can afford a private institution, they should have that right.
As far as the rebellion against private institutions, maybe Spain is threatened by the idea of private sectors of higher education because now the standards may raise? In the current situation it seems like University life is a tad slower and has less expectations than in the states; failing classes is no big thing to many. With the addition of private universities, the students will eventually have more competition in the job world from those attending private sectors and obtaining a stronger education. Maybe this will create a positive competition, motivating the average student to work harder.
In all cases, if something is considered required for a reasonably successful/secure standard of living, it should not be difficult to achieve financially. We need a college degree in order to succeed in the united states so it should be affordable for everyone in the united states... its kind of a part of our constitution you know? everyone has the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the hard financial times that may or may not be in our future, we may want to rethink the price of universities in America. Graduate programs should be a little bit pricier. Competition improves the quality of the institutions and taking the risk of investing in a anything, including a graduate degree is kind of what America is all about.
oh... and there should allways be a private option for those who want a higher quality education... also i agree with mike in that there is a lot to be said for the quality of education in the states and that our competitive system is most likely the cause of this
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