Coughlan, director of the Independent Institute of Education, says a response to the call for a concerted public-private campaign to address access to higher education remains largely absent.
She notes that, in its much-publicised latest report, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) argued that privately managed but publicly funded schools could significantly benefit poor and failing learners. It was recommended that pupils at such schools receive the same government funding as pupils in public schools, effectively ensuring a supplementary resource to the embattled public education system.
In another development, President Jacob Zuma announced the imminent construction of two new universities - in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga. While The Presidency noted that the number of university enrolments had grown by 50% over the past decade, The National Development Plan says this number needed to be raised by another 25% by 2030.
"Obviously the building of brand new public institutions should be welcomed," says Coughlan, "and the regions being served are under provided from both a private and public point of view. These institutions will however not address all of the growing national need. There is a further opportunity to consider - if one extends the possibilities raised in the CDE report in relation to schools, to higher and further education."
Coughlan says that South Africa's system ensure that private higher education institutions are subjected to the same quality assurance, accreditation and regulation as public institutions. Furthermore, many have amply proved their ability to deliver quality education and boast enviable track records.
"It may well be time to reconsider a model where students are able to access state support for their studies based on their choice of institution rather than whether or not an institution is public or private," Coughlan advises.
"This is not a panacea and obviously there are potential risks, but there are international precedents where public-private collaborations have delivered excellent results in terms of quality and access to higher education.
"For instance, in India and Brazil, the private sector is viewed as a valuable partner, and private higher education has been encouraged to develop. Today the sector offers meaningful, affordable and accessible alternatives to the public system and in many instances in partnership with it."
Coughlan says is necessary and possible to ensure that issues of quality and value for money are managed carefully in this process.
"It is equally possible to create models that are not a direct drain on the fiscus and that do not direct funds away from the public institutions. For instance, differentiated tax or voucher systems for student financial aid, rebates on rates, or public private partnerships in a range of forms are all options that should be explored, to deliver on the overall national imperative of improving access and success in the sector as a whole."
