Will the invisible hand fix private higher education in Latin America?

Abstract

The essay discusses the strengths and shortcomings of private higher education in Latin America. It argues that private institutions play an important role and shows – with numbers – that profits and quality education are unrelated. In discussing regulations, it argues that both neglect and heavy-handed policies are not producing the expected results. What less prosperous and smaller private institutions need is public support, in order to offer decent quality education and innovate in non-traditional areas, such as post-secondary programs. Indeed, they need help to structure courses, prepare teaching materials and train their teachers.

Keywords

• Public
• Private
• Higher education
• Universities
• Postsecondary education
• Liberal arts
• Diversification
• Technical education
• Profits
• Quality
• Regulation
• Accreditation
• Authorization
• Training of teachers
• Teaching materials