The document discusses the commercialization of higher education in Botswana. It notes that globalization and economic changes have led universities to take a more business-oriented approach focused on profit generation. This has negative impacts like reducing access to education for those unable to pay high fees, and prioritizing enrollment over academic merit. It also discusses how commercialization has changed the roles of students, teachers, and universities - shifting the focus from learning to earning. Overall, the document argues that the pressure to maximize income has reduced education quality at many private institutions in Botswana.

1. Department of Education
Contemporary Issues in Higher Education
Email:tsholofelozig@gmail.com
TOPIC:
UNIVERSITY AS A BUSINESS TRANSACTION; COMMERCIALISATION OF HIGHER
INSTITUTIONS
BY
TSHOLOFELO ZIGWA
The education system has since tainted due to globalisation. The current economic and
social changes have strike so hard within the education system. Across the globe shifts such
as taxing, exchange rates, financial support methods and other economic transformations
have been experienced in the higher education sector. The social and cultural trends had
compelled structures and the systems to be evaluated. The need to employ people with
miscellaneous and competitive skills, bureaucrats, teaching practice, and other support
structures in higher education has augmented the demand for profit orientation in
education. The growing demands of privatisation and commercialisation became a scape-
goat. Raturi (2016) defines commercialisation of education as the process in which
ownership and administration of the schools are made with the purpose of making profit.
Bhatia (2012) emphasises that education was formerly dignified grounds or noble cause but
this has since ended and has now turn out to be a business venture. Twebeza (2015) defines
education as the process of impartation and acqusition of broad-spectrum knowledge
coupled with reasoning and judgements to accomplish academic ripeness. Higher education
institutions used to be an opportunity for inferior class of people to realize their dreams and
a route to improve their economic situations back at their homes. Bhatia (2012) stresses
that instead of education playing a imperative function of being a problem decipher it has
now become a problem to the mass. Gone are the days where people would use their skills
and practical knowledge to do a job but today it requires an education qualification to be
placed for an occupation. There are many private institutions nowdays, due to privatization
it has caused education to be commercialised. Many higher education institutions have
become income generators. Commercialisation is one of the blazing issues that shape higher
education. Therefore, this paper examines issues of commercialisation in higher education.

2. Commercialisation is the process of linking an activity in business. Commercialization is the
process that is involved in making an invention commercially triumphant. Commercialization
applies to assorted sectors and these include the education, agriculture and the sport
industry. For the past decade education has been endorsed for the good cause but in
today`s world it has fashioned to commercialisation. Commercialisation has a great blow on
students, the academic body, support structures within the education system and the
community at large. Tao, Berci and Wayne (2015) cite in Twebaze (2015) has argued that
commercialisation is mounting at an alarming haste especially in China where it has been
seen ascalating in private institutions. The authors state that through commercialisation of
education the tradition of education as a societal mobility to aspire has lost it`s savour and
transferred to making profit. However, Tao, Berci (2015) and Wayne cited in Twebaze
(2015) emphasises that commercialising education is putting the underpriviledged and poor
under a dark smoke. We have seen this at Limkokwing University, students whose parents
are not able to pay for their school fees after failing some modules never graduates or
return back at their homes without completing their studies. The other thing is that, there
are students at Limkokwing University who accumulated lower points but are able to go
through tertiary through self sponsorship but other students with higher points but where
not able to accumulate sponsorship from the Botswana government remain at their homes.
Reduction of education funding has also been perceived as one of the contributors to
emergence of commercialisation. Funding of education has been for long considered to be
the role of government but the increase of private institutions has increased cases of
commercialisation. Schrum (2002) cited in Twebaze (2015) argues that when the
government ceased or reduced funding of higher education institutions commercialised
became a norm due to the cost and prospect. Therefore, this means that only those who
can afford to pay for education will acquire impartation of knowledge and skills. For these
reasons higher education institutions has to create fundraising measures to fill up the gaps.
Time and gain Universities employ partnership initiatives with outside stakeholders for one
cause or the other. Different organisations partners with higher institutes on different
engagements; some do it for good cause while some are in to reap or gain something in
return. These relationships are done strategically and some call them partnerships,
sponsors, donors and good cause. Institutions compete amongst each other and the
anticipation from the public worsens as they attempt to bring in new strategies to construct
the reputation and image of their instituions.
Furthermore, Twebaze (2015) stresses that commercialisation has also made it possible or
necessary for the institutions to open doors for advertising, marketing and sponsorship
agencies. Recently at Limkokwing University a sponsorship was earned for only five
students in each course to be awarded scholarship within the institution. This is used as
sponsorship initiative and Public Relations tool to build the image and reputation of the
institution. This was done because the government expenditure has lowered and
Universities come with a range of strategies to have a competitive edge over the

3. government. This would also affect quality of education because those who are ‘unable’ or
the ‘intellectual’ remain at homes while those who are able to pay go through education.
Many higher education institutions are haulling in competition for students. You will find
Universities in Botswana such as Botho University, University of Botswana, Limkokwing
University, Ba Isago Univeersity and other up coming higher intitutions competing in various
forms of media to attract media coverage and hence competitive enrollment. Through
these coverage private sponsorships, donors, parents and other individuals pitch in to enroll
their students in non-government sponsored initiatives such as part time classes and Online
classes.
Henceforth, students also find themselves under the weight of commercialisation. Higher
education institutions are seen as the grounds that cultivate and groom students for
employment. Universities are perceived as prominent route to gain. Schrum (2016) states
that eventhough in a free market the outcomes of a goods trade is measured via profits and
education through a degree as a rule of thumb is not enumerated. Schrum (2016) note that,
this contributes to the thinking that students are customers of a service for a very definite
reason typically as a sanction to a good paying job. Universities are under pressure of
providing market driven demands and alternatives. The students approach towards
education also results in the scrutiny that value-based learning has outdated; which has
unswerving consequences in an area of education. Hencesaid, students and the Universities
are established within a commercialised environment where almost all things have a price
tag. The theoritical aspects of education is viewed as obsolete and irrelevant to today`s
world where innovation and creativity is practice. Students look and conceptualise the
course of study to the impact it would have in the industry. Therefore, this perception
makes the worth of what is right and wrong to be ignored. The aim to pursue truth and
knowledge is the least of the demands but the pursuit is gaining financial stake from
education. Schrum (2016) highlights that the classroom experience has been cut off as
students are continuously becoming separated from the social experience.
Moreover, teachers have felt the smack of commercialisation. Teaching has been regarded
as a profession of fondness towards student interest. The commercialised of education has
painted a different picture to the teaching profession. Teaching in a commercialised
education environment is viewed as just a job that pays the bills and feeds. Twebaze (2015)
argues that commercialisation of education put teachers on a very dense side. Teachers
advocating for the best interest of the students, the decision making regard learning is
minimum and the focus lies on making profit. A typical example, at Limkokwing University
there are instances where staff members are obliged to enroll students within a discipline
that they don`t qualify for just because they have money put on it. At Limkokwing University
lecturers has been awarded for bringing in students for enrollment. The process allows a
lecturer to go out and search for students who are willing to pay for themselves and there is
certain amount of money that the lecturer is given as an award and motivation of through

4. commercialisation of education. Hogan and Thompson (2017) emphasises that privatisation
and commercialisation are core workers. Some institutions buy educational goods and
services from private organisations with a motive of gaining commercial opportunities.
In addition, Mbuya (2017) explains how commercialisation has jaded unfathomably into the
education system of Botswana. The author explains how University of Botswana has felt into
the ensnare of fanancial fatique and competition from the private institutions. Mbuya
(2017) stresses that; it has become a debate of whether the nation is getting a return
investment from the University of Botswana. It would no longer be about which institutions
of higher education is better than the other but it would be about whether are producing
according to the needs of the modern economy. Morever, money has long became a
priority in University of Botswana, students had to register with a fee, and those who don`t
have registration fees are bound to not make it with the system. Mbuya emphasises that
the government sponsorship initiatives such as ‘Target 20 000’ has been more of a curse
than a blessing since corruption has risen on enrollments and funds been taken from the
initiative through fraud forms and bribery. Hence education has changed to business
transaction and trade. The Education Hub in Botswana was aestablished as one way of
commercialising eudcation. With the trends of economic diversification policies had to be
revised and reviewed to accommodate exports and imports within the education system.
Education has made part of the global village and trade in education is felt across the whole
world. Maiketso (n.d) highlights that the impartation of skills and knowledge through
education requires the government to spend on students by sending them to private
institutions outside the country. In addition, employees undertake short courses and
trainings to develop themselves in their respective fields. Institute of Development
Management (IDM) is one of the higher education institutions that target government
employees on further trainings, consultancy, research and academic development for those
that are already consumed within diverse industries. Maiketso (n.d) cited that there are
other stakeholders such as private organisations and semi government organisations that
award sponsorship to students after having realised that the money that the government
incurs is way too much. Policy makers such as the departments of Tertiary Education Council
also call for the need of funding for higher education institutions which on its own is a drive
to commercialisation. Therefore operations of higher education institutions such as
Limkokwing University, ABM, Botho University and Ba Isago University rely on government
expenditures.
In a nutshell, Commercialisation in the form of income maximisation is at the center of the
deficiency of quality in Higher education. Many private institutions find themselves in tight
situations. Higher education institutions engage in many strategies on how to invest and
make profits. It doesn’t matter how they do it, they find ways to cut corners but still
maintaining the corporate culture and their reputation. Some don’t provide enough
educational resources to students such as libraries, labs and books but they all do that to
save money. Some higher eudcation institutions hire unqualified staff members because

5. they want to serve a little than hiring people who will consume all their profit. I have
observed this with Limkokwing University where unqualified staff memebers are hired
because they would get a little salary. Employment contracts are even made short to avoid
huge payments. Some institutions have procedures where some fees are tied to students
failing such as supplementary work, re-registration, retake and late registrations.
Commercialisation has led to poor quality provision and overloads since the institutions are
chaising after money and they don`t take into account how many students are enrolled in
an institutions as long as money comes in. Commercialisation of education has endorsed
competitions among higher education institutions and the accumulation of financial
reimbursement becomes inflexible.
Reference list
1. Bhatia, N (2012) Education – Problem or Solution, Available Online
at;https://www.nitinbhatia.in/views/education-problem-or-solution/ [Accessed 09
September 2018]
2. Hogan, A. and Thompson, G. (2017). Commercialization in Education, Available
Online at
;<http://education.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/
acrefore-9780190264093-e-180>[Accessed 07 September 2018]
3. Maiketso, J. T. (n.d) Prospects for the Establishment of an Educational Hub: The Case
of Botswana, Available Online at;http://www.tips.org.za/files/9.Education_Hub_-
_SSD.pdf[Accessed 07 September 2018]
4. Mbuya, T. (2017). The decline and fall of higher education in Botswana: The curse of
commercialisation (Part I), Available Online
at;http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=65780&dir=2017/january/13[Accessed 08
September 2018]
5. Raturi, S. (2016) to analyze the impact of commercialization of education on
students, Available Online at; https://www.quora.com/What-is-Commercialisation-
of-Education-What-are-its-effects, [Accessed 08 September 2018]

6. 6. Schrum, L. (2016). Education and Commercialization: Raising Awareness and Making
Wise Decisions, Available Online at;<https://www.citejournal.org/volume-2/issue-2-
02/social-studies/education-and-commercialization-raising-awareness-and-making-
wise-decisions/>[Accessed 07 September 2018]
7. Twebaze, R.M. (2015). Commercialization of education in uganda; causes and
consequences, Available Online
at;http://www.recentscientific.com/sites/default/files/2899.pdf[Accessed 07
September 2018]