Search

Conventionally, higher education is regarded as a public good, producing a huge set of externalities, benefiting not only the individuals but also the whole society. Higher education institutions are recognized as important social institutions, performing vital social functions, that are widely acknowledged as noble and core for the very sustenance of societies, besides creating and disseminating knowledge. But of late, the chronic shortage of public funds for higher education, the widespread introduction of neo-liberal economic policies and globalization in every country and in every sector, which also contributed to rapid growth in privatization of education, and the heralding of the international law on trade in services by the World Treaty Organization (WTO) and the General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) - all tend to question the long-cherished and well-established view of many on higher education as a public good, and to propose and legitimize the sale and purchase of higher education, as if it is a commodity meant for trade. In India too, the introduction of neo-liberal policies in the early 1990s has resulted in a significant shift in public approach to education: the public good character is being forgotten, and the profit-seeking private sector is gaining strength. All this poses serious problems relating to access, quality, and equity in education, resulting in dangerous cracks in the edifice of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the structural adjustment policies, a social safety net programme was launched in India, primarily aimed at protecting the sectors of primary education and primary health care in the beginning of the 1990s. The paper presents a critical review of the politico-economic dynamics of the business of aid for education in India, and in the process reviews the rationale for aid for education and its impact. It unravels quite a few important dimensions of the external aid business from which valuable lessons can be drawn for India and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the salient features of the emerging knowledge society, its relationship with education, the role of the international organisations in knowledge development and knowledge management, and specifically the need for knowledge-based aid policies. The paper argues that development of strong education systems, including specifically higher education and research systems, is a necessary prerequisite for development of a knowledge society. International aid organisations have been active in the development of education directly, and thereby in knowledge development indirectly in developing countries. Some organisations have also initiated efforts that aim at knowledge development and management directly. But the approaches of international organisations for knowledge development and management need to be modified to suit the divergent dynamic socio-economic conditions and national policies. Also based on the principle of comparative advantage, it can be suggested that knowledge development should be the main responsibility of governments in developing countries, while knowledge management could be the task of the international aid organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses different approaches to the development of education. Relationship between education and earnings in the human capital framework; Indirect effect of education on poverty; Human component in human development approach; Inter-relationship between education poverty and income poverty.

The article discusses the educational crisis and the economics of education in developing countries. It explores the issues related to the development of theories and practices in educational planning. Also included in this paper is a brief review of educational developments around the world during the past few years. It aims to give an evaluation on the educational policies and public expenditures. The international economic order on education is given emphasis relative to achieving a sustainable growth for satisfying a decent quality of life.