Corporatisation of universities deepens inequalities by ignoring social injustices and restricting access to higher education
Date
2019
Authors
Dlamini, R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch University
Abstract
There has been an unprecedented demand for equitable access to post-secondary education post
1994, perhaps because of the change in policies broadening participation of black people in
traditional universities in South Africa. The dramatic increase of people of colour attending
institutions of higher learning coincided with shrinking government subsidies, which led to
universities redesigning their identity according to corporate culture. Thus, they turned to double
digit fee increases and persistent long-term outsourcing of services to overcome the problem of
funding insecurities. However, it is not clear how corporatization of institutions of higher education
enables equitable access and efficient delivery of higher education to the majority of blacks who
were previously disadvantaged by apartheid policies. The primary objective of this article is to
conduct a meta-synthesis of a systematically retrieved sample of empirical academic literature to
present an argument on the systemic deficits in corporatization of higher education and the
corporate identity which distort the ideal university. The PRISMA statement is followed to ensure
transparent and complete synthesis of the literature reviewed to maintain the integrity of individual
studies. Thereafter, the article presents a detailed account of how corporatization of universities
deepens inequalities; ignores social injustices and restricts access to higher education. In addition,
the article makes a claim that corporatization of universities impairs the academic quality and
freedom of the university as well as portrays education as “private good” for self-actualization.
Description
Keywords
corporatisation of universities, education as private good, restricting access to higher education
Citation
Dlamini, R. (2018). Corporatisation of universities deepens inequalities by ignoring social injustices and restricting access to higher education. South African Journal of Higher Education, 32(5), pp. 54 - 65.