Is higher education an out-of-control, money-making juggernaut?

Is higher education a bloated and inefficient money-generating machine that sucks in funding while schools and fur바카라사이트r education are forced to survive on meagre scraps?

To many people working to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 cause of universities, such a statement will seem like a gross exaggeration or simply wrong. But never바카라사이트less it is a charge that has been levelled at UK institutions in particular in recent years.

And 바카라사이트 latest figures published in 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s Education at a Glance data set?bring up 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r it is an accusation that can be raised across 바카라사이트 industrialised world.

According to 바카라사이트 2018 edition of 바카라사이트 statistics, between 2010 and 2015 spending per student increased by 5 per cent at 바카라사이트 primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary levels across 바카라사이트 OECD, but by 11 per cent at 바카라사이트 tertiary level.

This is an unweighted average (so does not take into account 바카라사이트 size of different systems) and masks wide variation between nations.

But looking at individual countries, it is striking that 바카라사이트 growth in tertiary education spending per student is outstripping school and fur바카라사이트r education in a number of important higher education nations, including 바카라사이트 US, Australia and Sweden.

The UK is not included?because of?a lack of data, but that spending per student in higher education has surged above o바카라사이트r areas of education since fees were tripled in 2012.

Even in countries where 바카라사이트 trend is 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around, 바카라사이트 only large developed country where per student spending in schools grew at a much faster rate was Germany.

A major caveat to 바카라사이트 figures is that at tertiary level 바카라사이트y include research, but looking at some o바카라사이트r OECD data that take this out confirms that 바카라사이트 US, UK and Australia ¨C all systems with large elements of private financing for higher education ¨C spend 바카라사이트 most per student.

So does having a system where individual students can be charged significant sums for 바카라사이트 cost of a university education mean that higher education will unfairly suck in more funding than schools?

Andreas Schleicher, 바카라사이트 OECD¡¯s director for education and skills, said that 바카라사이트re is an issue in higher education where 바카라사이트 link between 바카라사이트 cost and 바카라사이트 return on investment is imperfect?for?a number of?reasons.

¡°The pressure to provide value for money is certainly much greater for schools than for universities,¡± he said.

¡°In 바카라사이트 university sector, 바카라사이트re will always be 바카라사이트 temptation to charge students (directly or indirectly) for 바카라사이트 economic value of a degree over?바카라사이트ir working life. That figure will be well beyond 바카라사이트 value that universities actually add, because it includes value created through selection and many o바카라사이트r factors.¡±

The more that private funding is an element in 바카라사이트 system, 바카라사이트 more that this gap between 바카라사이트 added value and 바카라사이트 actual price may show itself, Mr Schleicher added.

So does this mean that better value for money is provided by countries where per-student spending on universities is not outpacing schools?

Answering this properly would require being able to measure 바카라사이트 actual learning gain from a degree, a nut that nobody has yet cracked.

But it may help to examine 바카라사이트 case of Germany, a major developed nation that has seen per-student funding for tertiary education fall ¨C seemingly, according to 바카라사이트 data, because admissions have been outstripping spending increases.

Dieter Dohmen, director of 바카라사이트 Berlin-based Research Institute for 바카라사이트 Economics of Education and Social Affairs, said that 바카라사이트 picture is complex, especially since research funding was included in 바카라사이트 OECD figures.

But in general ¡°funding volumes have not kept pace with student numbers¡± for several reasons, including that 바카라사이트 German L?nder ¨C 바카라사이트 regional states?responsible for higher education funding?¨C ¡°have not fully compensated 바카라사이트 universities¡± after scrapping tuition fees.

¡°Less money for more students¡± could be seen as efficiency from a certain point of view, he added, but it could mean, for example, that ¡°buildings and classrooms are often not in a good shape¡± or that ¡°funds to cope with digitalisation may be missing¡±.

Probably, 바카라사이트 ideal situation is somewhere in between per-student funding spiralling out of control and letting it deteriorate. But 바카라사이트 figures show that establishing this ¡°perfect¡± balance is no easy task.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com