Revisiting the Causes and Meaning of Higher Education Massification in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Cameroon

Abstract

The lack of common agreement on the typology of causes/drivers of massification within the literature globally and the paradox between the meager GTER (Gross Tertiary Enrollment Ratio) and higher education massification in Sub-Saharan Africa require further reflection on this global issue (e.g., the massification of higher education). This study aimed therefore to investigate higher education massification in Cameroon, one of the Sub-Saharan African countries affected by this phenomenon. It employed a qualitative approach based on content analysis of secondary sources and semi-structured interviews with Cameroonian academic members, managers, and higher education officials to explore the causes and meaning of higher education massification in Cameroon. The findings highlighted three factors as major underlying drivers of higher education massification in Cameroon, namely: high rates of attendance and completion in secondary/high schools; open-door policy; and resource constraints. The study concludes that there is no exclusive relationship between the level of the GTER and higher education massification in Cameroon while referring to it as (a consequence of) the mismatch between student quantity-students number and resource quality and quantity. A call for action is made to policymakers to consider higher education massification and its potential effects on quality assurance as a critical concern by developing strategies to effectively address the problem of resource constraints among higher education institutions