A thing or two that varsities must learn to do

THE Year of the Rooster is just around the corner. Perhaps, this should serve as a cue for us to slay the tricky chicken-and-egg situations that trouble us and impede our progress.

That surely applies to our public universities. Last week, using Universiti Malaya as the prime example, Sunday Star highlighted how shrinking government allocations have made it more difficult to operate these universities.

Budget cuts have forced the universities to reduce their teaching force and spend less on facilities. Such measures will no doubt dilute academic quality.

And today, Sunday Star reports on the waning appeal of public universities.

Many parents and students prefer to opt for higher education in the private sector despite the higher costs because it is perceived that these institutions produce better graduates.

Employers too share this view and are often more likely to hire those who have studied in private universities.

Generally, the government funding that a public university gets is largely determined by its size and importance, which in turn hinges on its enrolment numbers and the work it does.

So here is the chicken-and-egg situation. Tighter budgets tend to hurt quality. And when quality is compromised, it is harder for the university to attract students.

So how does the university put up a case for more money when its ability to shape students into sought-after graduates and to yield top-notch research, appears to be diminishing?

According to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, public universities have become too dependent on government funding and that way of doing things is unsustainable.

It does not help that the statistics

Budget cuts have forced the universities to reduce their teaching force and spend less on facilities.

suggest that the Government is not getting enough bang for its bucks that go to higher education.

Expenditure efficiency in public universities must improve, said Idris. And that is prominent in one of the 10 shifts outlined in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 20152025 (Higher Education).

Shift 5 focuses on financial sustainability. The aim is to create a sustainable financing system for Malaysia’s higher education.

This financing system revolves around outcomes and performance. For it to work well, all stakeholders in the public, private and social sectors must contribute.

“This Shift is critical as Malaysia will need to deliver quality higher education to almost twice as many students over the next decade at a time of rising costs and budgetary constraints,” says the Higher Education Ministry in the Blueprint.

“To do so, the ministry will link government funding to performance, reform existing student financing mechanisms and encourage institutions of higher learning to diversify funding sources.”

Public universities have to be better at optimising costs and offering value for money. This is essential if they are to diversify their sources of funding and calls for significant (and perhaps initially uncomfortable) changes in how the universities are run.

After all, you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.