1. Widening Student Participation –
Does the Funding Approach Matter?
A Case for Botswana, Zambia,
Malawi and Zimbabwe
Handsen Tibugari
handsentibugari@gmail.com
IAU 14th General Conference, 11/30/2012
3. INTRODUCTION
Although:
• findings of MDG Report 2012 on Africa indicate
economic growth & strides in poverty reduction
have positive impact on MDG progress
& the agenda
4. • including achieving targets of: universal primary
education and; gender parity at all levels of
education
& the agenda
5. • And though enrolments increased 20-fold from
0.2 million in 1970 to 4.5 million in 2008
(SARUA, 2012)
• HE in southern Africa faces serious challenges
• Access and equity to HE in SADCC are
unacceptably low (SARUA, 2008)
& the agenda
6. • Changes in financing HE worldwide in the last
decades of 20th & 1st decade of 21st centuries
(Johnstone & Marcucci, 2007)
• HE costs rising higher than available revenues
• Funding strategies must consider that
instructional costs of disadvantaged students
may be higher (OECD, 2012)
& the agenda
8. • Independence, HE in Africa - a priority
development strategy (Sayed et al., 2008)
• Provided high-level manpower – research,
social & economic development
• Funding from former colonizing powers
• Fruitful links with universities in the north
(Mohamedbhai, 2008)
• Economic & political crises - neglect
& the agenda
9. • Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe - formerly ruled as
a Federation
• Salisbury (Harare) capital city
• Resources, including educational channelled to
Zimbabwe
& the agenda
11. Government Funding & Support
• Predominantly funded by governments
• Zimbabwe - 95%
• Ultimate goal - protecting students – institutions
may be less responsive (Mahoney, 2006)
& the agenda
12. Challenges
• Dwindling budgets in support of HE
• Funding not sufficient to cater for effects of
massification (Mohamedbhai, 2008)
• e.g.. high student to computer ratios
• Overwhelmed Internet bandwidths – slow
connectivity
• Poor staff remuneration – staff exodus
• Inexperienced lecturers – quality of graduates?
& the agenda
13. Research Funding
• Global research indicators - sub Saharan Africa
poor research output (Mohamedbhai, 2011)
• Lowest scholarly scientific publications
• Least investment in R & D
• R & D dominated by external support –
development partners
& the agenda
14. Challenges
• Requires active partners
• At times there may be no willing external
partners
• Strained relations with the donor community
can scare funders
& the agenda
15. Cost Sharing
• Practised mainly by private institutions
• Do not receive government subventions
• At times run as business enterprises
& the agenda
16. Challenges
• May not focus importance of HE in the context
of sustainable development (wa Kariuki, 2009)
• Sometimes not responsive to (potential)
students from poor family backgrounds
• Student drop-out and repeat rates can be high
• Low graduation rates
& the agenda
17. Recommendations
• Governments invest to make universities self-
sufficient
• Strategic alliances; networks
– development partners
– other HE institutions
• Entrepreneurship – income generating projects
e.g. Zambia – University Teaching Hospital
& the agenda
18. Innovation
• Engage in research that is relevant to business,
industry
• Scientific & technological breakthroughs
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