Description
This is an important and timely contribution to the highly polarised debate on public and private higher education in South Africa. Neither overtly for, nor against, the private provision of higher education, it begins from the assumption that private provision is a reality to be engaged with and that what is required is policy and practice which ensures that private higher education institutions function to increase skills levels in line with national higher education objectives.

Based on an empirical, qualitative investigation, the study builds a systematic picture of two distinct sub-sectors within private provision and uses this as a basis for understanding the potentially complementary or competitive role of private institutions in the sector as a whole.

This analysis prompts a re-examination of the distinction between the private and the public, between complementarity and competition, and points to ways of engaging the two sub-sectors so as to promote national skills development. This book is essential reading for anyone involved in higher education.

Glenda Kruss is a chief research specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council. She holds a DPhil from the University of Ulster and was associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Western Cape. Glenda has published widely, with a particular focus on education policy implementation. Her recent research has focused on higher education, exploring the nature of private provision, the issue of higher education responsiveness to economic and social needs and higher education-industry innovation partnerships.

Contents
List of figures and tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Chapter 1 The conceptual and empirical approach
The research impetus
Appropriating a conceptual framework
An empirical study of private higher education
Introducing the fifteen cases

Chapter 2 Tracing origins and history
A broad historical sweep
Private higher education at the turn of the millennium
The three trans-national cases
The four franchising college cases
The six technical and vocational education and training cases
The corporate classroom
Pathways to the establishment of private higher education institutions

Chapter 3 Exploring demand: contemporary vision and identity
Internationally recognised, career-oriented quality education: the trans-national and franchising college cases
Practical workplace preparation and extending opportunity: the TVET and corporate classroom cases

Chapter 4 Exploring student demand
Target group and admission policy
Using student profiles to analyse demand
Analysing student articulations of demand

Chapter 5 Engaging with the dimensions of finance and governance
Orientation, ownership and sources of funding
Collaboration agreements and relationships with the higher education sector

Chapter 6 Engaging with private sub-sectors
Different forms of private provision
A diversified response
New terms of engagement

Appendix
References
Index