Higher-Education-in-Developing-Countries

HigherEducationinDevelopingCountriesighereducationinstitutionsclearlyneedwell-designedacademicprogramsandaclearmission.Mostimportanttotheirsuccess,however,arehigh-qualityfaculty,committedandwell-preparedstudents,andsufficientresources.Despitenotableexceptions,mosthighereducationinstitutionsindevelopingcountriessufferseveredeficienciesineachoftheseareas.Asaresult,fewperformtoaconsistentlyhighstandard.FacultyQualityAwell-qualifiedandhighlymotivatedfacultyiscriticaltothequalityofhighereducationinstitutions.Unfortunately,evenatflagshipuniversitiesindevelopingcountries,manyfacultymembershavelittle,ifany,graduateleveltraining.Thislimitsthelevelofknowledgeimpartedtostudentsandrestrictsthestudents’abilitytoaccessexistingknowledgeandgeneratenewideas.Teachingmethodsareoftenoutmoded.Rotelearningiscommon,withinstructorsdoinglittlemoreintheclassroomthancopyingtheirnotesontoablackboard.Thestudents,whoarefrequentlyunabletoaffordatextbook,mustthentranscribethenotesintoanotebook,andthosestudentswhoregurgitateacredibleportionoftheirnotesfrommemoryachieveexamsuccess.Thesepassiveapproachestoteachinghavelittlevalueinaworldwherecreativityandflexibilityareatapremium.Amoreenlightenedviewoflearningisurgentlyneeded,emphasizingactiveintellectualengagement,participation,anddiscovery,ratherthanthepassiveabsorptionoffacts.Improvingthequalityoffacultyismademoredifficultbytheill-conceivedincentivestructuresfoundinmanydevelopingcountries.Facultypayisgenerallyverylowinrelationtothatofferedbyalternativeprofessionaloccupations.Payincreasesaregovernedbybureaucraticpersonnelsystemsthatrewardlongserviceratherthansuccessinteachingorresearch.Marketforces,whichattempttorewardgoodperformance,areseldomusedtodeterminepayinthehighereducationsector.Whilepaydisparitiesmakeitdifficulttoattracttalentedindividuals,recruitmentproceduresareoftenfoundtohinderintellectualgrowth.Somedevelopingcountrieshavebeenslowtodeveloptraditionsofacademicfreedomandindependentscholarship.Bureaucracyandcorruptionarecommon,affectingtheselectionandtreatmentofbothstudentsandfaculty.Favoritismandpatronagecontributetoacademicinbreedingthatdeniesuniversitiesthebenefitofintellectualcross-fertilization.Theseproblemsarisemostcommonlyinpoliticizedacademicsettings,wherepowerratherthanmeritweighsmostheavilyinthemakingofimportantdecisions.Politicizationcanalsohaveawiderimpactontheatmosphereofasystem.Whilepoliticalactivityoncampusesthroughouttheworldhashelpedaddressinjusticesandpromotedemocracy,inmanyinstancesithasalsoinappropriatelydisruptedcampuslife.Research,teaching,andlearningareextremelydifficultwhenafewfacultymembers,students,andstudentgroupstakeuppositionsascombativeagentsofrivalpoliticalfactions.Highereducationinstitutionsrelyonthecommitmentoftheirfaculty.TheirHconsistentpresenceandavailabilitytostudentsandcolleagueshaveanenormousinfluenceincreatinganatmospherethatencourageslearning.Yetfewinstitutionsindevelopingcountrieshavestructuresagainstmoonlightingandexcessiveabsenteeism.Manyfacultyworkpart-timeatseveralinstitutions,devotelittleattentiontoresearchortoimprovingtheirteaching,andplaylittleornoroleinthelifeoftheinstitutionsemployingthem.Facultymembersareoftenmoreinterestedinteachinganothercourse—oftenatanunaccreditedschool—thaninincreasingtheirpresenceandcommitmenttothemaininstitutionwithwhichtheyareaffiliated.Withwagessolow,itisdifficulttocondemnsuchbehavior.ProblemsFacedbyStudentsInmanyinstitutions,studentsfacedifficultconditionsforstudy.Severelyovercrowdedclasses,inadequatelibraryandlaboratoryfacilities,distractinglivingconditions,andfew,ifany,studentservicesarethenorm.Thefinancialstrainscurrentlyfacedbymostuniversitiesaremakingconditionsevenworse.Manystudentsstarttheirstudiesacademicallyunpreparedforhighereducation.Poorbasicandsecondaryeducation,combinedwithalackofselectionintheacademicsystem,lieattherootofthisproblem.Yetrarelydoesaninstitutionrespondbycreatingremedialprogramsforinadequatelypreparedstudents.Culturaltraditionsandinfrastructurelimitationsalsofrequentlycausestudentstostudysubjects,suchashumanitiesandthearts,thatofferlimitedjobopportunitiesandleadto“educatedunemployment.”Atthesametime,thereisoftenunmetdemandforqualifiedsciencegraduates,whileinmanysocietieswomenstudysubjectsthatconformtotheirtraditionalroles,ratherthancoursesthatwillmaximizetheiropportunitiesinthelabormarket.Betterinformationonthelabormarketisneeded,combinedwithpoliciesthatpromoteeconomicgrowthandlaborabsorption.Also,manyeducatedpeoplecomefromwealthierbackgroundsandareabletoresisttakingjobsinlocationstheyconsidertobeundesirable.Promotinganentrepreneurialculturewillencouragethecreationofmoreproductivejobs.Studentsalsofacethewidespreadrequirementtochoosetheirareaofspecializationearlyintheircourse,insomecasesaheadofmatriculation.Onceachoiceismade,changeisfrequentlydifficultorevenimpossible.Suchinflexibilityclosesoffoptions,withstudentsunabletosamplecoursesindifferentacademicareas.Earlyspecializationcanpreventcostlyindecisiveness,butsystemsthatareunforgivingofearly“mistakes”donotdevelopandunleashthetr