The expansion of higher education led by private universities in Korea

Abstract

This article explores the role of the Korean government in expanding private higher education over time and attempts to examine the impact of such expansion on access to and equity in higher education. The enrolment rate in Korean higher education has increased to over 80% within the past 60 years. This can be attributed to two factors: the rapid expansion of private universities which currently enrol about 80% of undergraduates, and the Koreans' educational aspirations rooted in the cultural esteem for education. The government's role is also paramount in the expansion by deregulating private universities. However, higher education expansion, mainly led by private resources with minimal government funding, has resulted in educational inequity. The Korean case demonstrates the importance of maintaining a balanced act between regulating and promoting the expansion of private higher education for a developing economy.

Keywords:

• higher education
• Korea
• funding
• regulation
• private universities

Acknowledgements

This research was financed by the China Institute for Educational Finance Research of Peking University in 2008. In addition, it was supported by the Kyungwon University Research Fund in 2009.

Notes

1. Quality assurance mechanism for all HEIs was systematized in 1984 when the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE), a voluntary agency of 4-year universities, conducted a comprehensive evaluation of HEIs and academic fields (KEDI, 2006). The institutional evaluation assesses the overall administration of universities, while the academic evaluation assesses the quality of programmes by academic fields of study. The Korean Council for College Education (KCCE), another voluntary agency, conducts evaluation of academic programmes in 2-year colleges. More recently, private accreditation agencies have been established to evaluate academic fields that conform to international standards, such as engineering, architecture, and medicine.

2. Prior to the 1974 high school equalization policy, Korean middle school students had to pass qualifying examinations for high schools of their choice, which presented social problems as the majority of students preferred to enrol in quality private high schools. The 1974 policy therefore assigned students to high schools closest to their residence based on a lottery system, providing a fair distribution of ability among schools.