In the early 1990s, Makerere University introduced the Private Entry Scheme (PES)--a scheme that allowed the university to raise revenues by admitting students who pay tuition and fees. This reform is part of a growing trend towards privatization in higher education. The dissertation explores two broad implications of the PES--the first is the implication for access and the second, the implication for university behavior. To do so it asks three questions.
First, has the PES increased inequities in participation at Makerere? Using survey data of students at Makerere, I compare the socioeconomic status of students admitted under the PES to those admitted under the government scholarship scheme. The analyses suggest that the PES has entrenched, rather than increased, existing inequities in participation at the university.
Second, how has the financial environment of the university changed as a result of the PES? Using financial records of the university and selected faculties within the university, the analyses shows that the PES has become an important source of revenue for the university. Furthermore, due to the success of the PES, international funding agencies have also increased their support to the university. On the other hand, government funding has stayed relatively constant throughout the last decade. The extent of privatization differs among faculties within the university as some faculties have been able to admit large numbers of fee-paying students. Furthermore, because new resource allocation procedures allow faculties to retain a portion of the revenues generated, some faculties have much higher revenues than others.
Third, how has the PES shaped relations within the university? Using data from interviews of Makerere University staff, the analyses concludes that the PES has led to increased differentiation among faculties and has created conflict within the university. I show that there is conflict between high- and low-revenue faculties and between central administration and academics over the ownership and control of the revenues generated from the PES. I also find that major aspects of academic work such as decisions on the curriculum, quality of teaching, and research have been reshaped by the process of privatization.
