ADEA 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa Beyond Primary Education:

1. ADEA 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa Beyond Primary Education: Challenges and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in Africa Session 7: Issues of Validation, Assessment, Articulation and The Role of National Qualification Frameworks Title of Presentation Differentiation and Articulation in Tertiary Education Systems: A Study of Twelve African Countries Presenter: Njuguna Ng’ethe Beyond Primary Education: Challenges of and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in AfricaAssociation for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)Biennale 2008 on Post-Primary Education

2. ADEA 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa Beyond Primary Education: Challenges and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in Africa The Problem • HE is increasingly being seen as important in development, especially with regard to skilled manpower. However, little research has been conducted on the nature and extent of tertiary institutional and programmatic differentiation and articulation in Africa. • The objective of the study was, therefore, to investigate the nature and extent of institutional and programmatic differentiation and articulation in Africa’s tertiary education systems. Beyond Primary Education: Challenges of and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in AfricaAssociation for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)Biennale 2008 on Post-Primary Education

3. ADEA 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa Beyond Primary Education: Challenges and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in Africa Dimensions of Articulation Beyond Primary Education: Challenges of and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in AfricaAssociation for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)Biennale 2008 on Post-Primary Education

4. ADEA 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa Beyond Primary Education: Challenges and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in Africa Dimensions of Differentiation Beyond Primary Education: Challenges of and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in AfricaAssociation for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)Biennale 2008 on Post-Primary Education

5. ADEA 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa Beyond Primary Education: Challenges and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in Africa Main Findings • Tertiary education systems vary across Africa and so are patterns of differentiation within countries, but binary systems dominate. Significant increase in the number of private providers of HE. • Institutional expansion without commensurate differentiation, low levels of articulation between and among universities and polytechnics: evidence of vocational and academic drift. • Drivers of differentiation include: the market, national policies, internal institutional reforms, industry & regional policies. • Inhibitors of differentiation include: resource constraints vs global trends, isomorphism, undifferentiated governance and funding structures and the dearth of shape and size debate. • Drivers and inhibitors of articulation include: national policies as drivers vs institutional practices, internal structures/ governance of institutions and industry & the market Beyond Primary Education: Challenges of and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in AfricaAssociation for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)Biennale 2008 on Post-Primary Education

6. ADEA 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa Beyond Primary Education: Challenges and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in Africa Conclusions & Main messages • The universities need to be more differentiated in terms of programme offerings and need to articulate well with other tertiary institutions, especially at the national level. • Need to develop differentiated non-university institutions that articulate well with universities both nationally and regionally. • Policies that address articulation and mobility pathways are required at the national level, and anchored in comprehensive national human resource and education policies. • Governments need to ask themselves the question: what role do the different tertiary education institutions play in national development? • Left to themselves, tertiary institutions are unlikely to respond adequately to the challenges of differentiation & articulation. • Africa can learn from other experiences in Asia & Europe. Beyond Primary Education: Challenges of and Approaches to Expanding Learning Opportunities in AfricaAssociation for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)Biennale 2008 on Post-Primary Education