Is There a Need to Debate the Role of Higher Education and the Public Good?

Calls for sustaining and increasing investment in higher education are often made on the basis that higher education is a `public good'. The idea of higher education as a public good is frequently conceptualized in terms of its contribution to economic development. If more people participate in higher education then society as a whole will benefit.\nOutside of the economic benefits of higher education there is less debate as to what is meant by `public good' in the context of higher education. This paper explores higher education as a public good and its role in realizing the public good (Jonathan 2001).\nWith particular reference to Ireland, this paper also looks at the impact of conceptualizing the `public good' role of higher education from an economic perspective, and what this implies for students, higher education institutions and society.