Re-Engineering Higher Education through Private Sector Participation: Reforms Agenda

Abstract

This paper focuses on re-engineering higher education through private sector participation. The study sought to investigate how private sector can participate in higher education. Three research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. Stratified random sampling technique was used in categorizing the respondents into three groups – higher education administrators, general public and private sector managers. Purposive sample technique was used in selecting 100 higher education administrators, 250 private sector managers and 300 members of the general public. Mean and standard deviation were 
used in answering the three research questions, while a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used in testing the null hypothesis. The findings of the study show that there was no significant difference among the three groups of respondents in private sector participation in provision, access, funding, governance and management of higher education. Findings also showed that the private sector needs to participate in the provision of ICT equipment and facilities, offer sponsorship to education workers for international conferences, seminars and workshops, be adequately represented in the governing councils of higher institutions, among others. Schools should offer courses and skills relevant the private sector prevailing labour demand. Implications of the findings were identified. Among the recommendations were: private sector should make a compulsory annual contribution of a specific percentage of their profit before tax 
to higher institutions, entrepreneurship management (business-like type) should be adopted in higher institutions while entrepreneurship education should be made compulsory to all students of higher 
learning.