The Effects of Massification on Higher Education in Africa

Book excerpt: Africa has experienced a dramatic escalation in the demand for higher education, beginning in the late 1960s and continuing today. This is partly in response to the relative success of the "Education for All" programmes implemented by many African countries, which resulted in very considerable expansions in primary and secondary enrollment and output. The pressure of this rising demand, in the face of inadequate resources, has posed major problems for policy makers as well as the leadership of higher education institutions. The purpose of this study is to make an initial assessment of the impact of these developments on the campuses of Africa, and to identify innovative approaches adopted to overcome the resource constraints. The study look first at the effects of the enrollment explosion on teaching, examination performance, physical facilities, institutional management, financing and the quality of student life. It then documents ways in which selected institutions are coping with the challenges.