Research Scholar,
Neo-liberalism seems to have pervaded all spheres of economy today, and higher education is no exception. From being solely state-funded socio-political priority it is considered more or less like a ‘tradable commodity’ or ‘private good’ today whose consumption is guided by market principles such as ‘value for money’. Advocates of marketization of education assert that market through choice and competition would foster efficiency and quality in institutions. Resources will be allocated efficiently at both macro and micro level. Amidst growing demand and state’s financial stringency, the private providers are seen as not only laying a helping hand in increasing access and absorbing demand but also as enhancing choice in the market. In short, widened access, funding, accountability, choice, quality and managerial efficiency are some of the perceived rewards/benefits from privatization of higher education (Mok and Tan, 2004). The question that arises here is whether fostering competition does improve the quality of education for all students and promote greater choice and diversity for parents and students. Is it even possible to apply the notion of ‘efficiency’ in education institutions? At the same time there are concerns about a growing hierarchy of educational institutions and implication of private expansion on social stratification. In this background, the present study attempts to build an understanding of sociological consequences of education driven by corporate/private ethos.
