Building the plane while it's flying: enhancing the missed opportunity for quality assurance and capacity-building in Australian private higher education

Higher education across the world has experienced the growth of private higher education. Based on this growth, it is apparent that the sector will continue to grow as a result of many factors such as: change in government policy that allows such providers to grow; government funding of student places in private colleges; the growth and demand for higher education with public institutions unable to meet the demand; and finally the increased choice for students based on factors such as flexibility, location, small class sizes, specialized courses and ease of entry. While the private sector has the potential for significant growth, there seem to be a lack of planning and policy directions by governments in some countries on the role of private higher education in meeting access and equity agendas, which are now gaining prominence in many parts of the world. The growth of the private sector has also witnessed issues around quality and standards in many countries. The present paper analyzes the growth of private higher education in many parts of the world and discusses the emerging issues around quality and standards. The paper argues that private providers will undoubtedly grow in Australia and will play a key role in access and opportunity for many disadvantaged students; however, there is a need for quality management and capacity-building at a time of growth in private higher education to shift focus from maximizing profit to academic rigour.