The political economy of higher education in Jordan: Cost-sharing revisited

Abstract

This study analyzes the financing pattern of higher education in Jordan, identifying its strengths and weaknesses in light of the increasing scarcity of government resources and the foreseeable future challenges. It explores the extent to which the current system is adequate, efficient, and equitable, and concludes by suggesting alternative strategies for resolving problems in financing higher education in Jordan. Under the current arrangements, the Jordanian higher education system is facing a number of constraints, which affect the adequacy, efficiency, and equity of funding. Public expenditure on higher education is relatively low and diminishing with increasing reliance on households pressured to compensate for this deficiency through private expenditure. Although expenditure on university education has been rising over time, it has hardly kept pace with the volume of enrolled students thus compromising the quality of education. Public universities have been put under pressure to devise alternative options to generate the resources to meet the rising demand on their services. Within public universities recourse has been made to the so-called "parallel programs", whereby students who could not be admitted to the universities or academic faculties of their choice on the strength of their scores in "Tawjihi" (secondary school) examination, may obtain admission by paying substantially higher tuition fees. External to public universities, a cost-sharing mechanism has been created through giving license to the private sector to establish private universities as business ventures. These, unlike public universities, enjoy considerable discretion to set tuition fees that cover the full cost of their services. Making them more expensive to attend than public universities. Although both mechanisms have led to the generation of much-needed financial resources, they have also raised questions of equity as they make it more difficult for students from poorer backgrounds to gain access to university education. Moreover, questions can be raised regarding the adverse effects of the profit-motive characterizing commercially oriented private universities on the quality of education. The data and analyses presented in this study serve as a basis for a proposed new approach to public, private and civil society partnership. Here innovative arrangements are proposed to generate adequate financial resources to meet the increasing demand on higher education, with no or minimal compromise on quality, and with maximal attention to considerations of equity. The proposal includes efforts to stimulate the role of civil society through reformation of the culture of social responsibility currently prevailing in Jordan. A culture of social responsibility is arguably the true essence of Arab-Islamic values as evident in the religious duty of Zakat and the institution of Awqaf. Unfortunately, discharging the Zakat obligation and executing Awqaf donations has been narrowly interpreted with an over-emphasis on religious bequests. What is needed is a redirection of the donations from the mosque (Jame') to the university (Jami'a). If implemented, this proposal could enable public universities and other non-profit higher education institutions to become financially bankable and independent by augmenting their income-generating capabilities. The new approach, while taking due account of market forces (demand, supply and prices), remains faithful to the basic proposition of seeing higher education as a "public good", the provision of which is subordinate to social objectives.