Blurred Vision?: Public and Private Higher Education in Indonesia

Abstract

If, as some have argued, private higher education is now the most dynamic segment of higher education, it is also the case that its growth, partly in response to the increasing mismatch between spiralling demand and limited state capacity, is often ad hoc. The article examines the contours of this trend in Indonesia, where the balance of public and private higher education has shifted sharply over the last two decades. While the private sector has been responsible for much of the expansion in higher education, its role in relation to quality is more questionable. Indonesia's economic burdens, sharply exacerbated by the effects of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, make it likely that the trend towards privatisation, including of its public institutions, will continue. Together with the current rise of trans-national higher education, however, this is only likely to sharpen existing difficulties around longstanding issues of quality, equality, and regulatory capacity.

Recent Developments in Higher Education in Indonesia: Issues and challenges

“…The quality of Indonesian HEIs, particularly the private HEIs, is weakening due to low staff-student ratios. Welch (2006) shows that staff-student ratios deteriorated in the past few decades. The staff-student ratio decreased from 1:6.6 to 1:10.1 in 1980, to 1:12.4 in 1990, and to 1:13.7 in 1998.…”

“…In the same vein, the quality of HEIs has been reduced due to low investment. Welch (2006) states that the levels of computer equipment and software are 'below the performance standard' for the number of students enrolled.…”

Seek Knowledge Throughout the World? Mobility in Islamic Higher Education

“…After independence in 1945, Islamic HEIs, such as the Indonesian Islamic University in Jogjakarta were established in 1946. Muhammadijah University in Jakarta and Nahdatul Ulama University in Bandung were associated with their respective Islamic political parties (Buchori & Malik, 2004;Welch, 2007Welch, , 2011a.…”

The Past and Future of Human Capital in South-East Asia

“…In Indonesia, the private sector is particularly important for higher education (Welch, 2006). However most children being privately educated are attending the Islamic schools where the fees and the quality of education are quite low (BPS et al, 2004).…”