Comparative Analysis of Next Generation of Academics Indicators

Wisdom Tettey

University of Calgary

INTRODUCTION

“the most significant human element is absence of sufficient highly qualified academics. A ‘pandemic of enrolment explosion’ had taken place in recent years without commensurate growth in faculty numbers. Sawyerr told a conference in Dublin City University in 2008 that one consequence, for instance, was that for the first time teaching positions in the University of Dar es Salaam were being filled by staff with only a bachelor's degree” (Akilagpa Sawyerr, in Walsh, 2008).

- Increasing Demand on Higher Education in Africa

- “participation rates are rising and there was a dramatic hike in student numbers in Sub-Saharan Africa in the six years to 2005: from 2.1 to 3.5 million (UNESCO: Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2008

Enrolment and Staff Growth

Examples: Stellenbosch (20,421 in 2000 to 23,439 in 2007) – 15% Makerere (27,420 in 2000 to 33,488 in 2007) – 22% Exception: Univ. of Ibadan (22468 in 2001 to 17891 in 2006) -21%

Kenya (59,195 in 2001 to 91,541 in 2005) 55% Uganda (60,000 in 2000 to 92,605 in 2006) 54%

Academic Staff Growth lagged behind student enrolment Growth

STUDENT AND STAFF GROWTH

STUDENT AND STAFF GROWTHSTUDENT AND STAFF GROWTH

Student-Staff Ratios

Ratios Gone up in all countriesGhana: 39:1 in 2007Nigeria: 47:1 in 2007South Africa: 46:1 in 2006

Variations at Institutional and Faculty Levels

Student-Staff Ratios

Implications of Student-Staff Ratios

Burden on staff is a disincentive to entry Creates vicious cycle in context of increasing

enrolments Inclination to ‘freeze’ intake (eg. Ibadan), but …

notwithstanding the expansion in the number of students attending Africa’s institutions of higher education, the enrolment ratios on the continent are significantly lower than that of any other region of the world, with only one out of 20 young Africans having the opportunity to pursue tertiary education (UNESCO, 2008).

Postgraduate Enrolment

Trends show Mixed Picture Proportions of Postgraduates Generally

LowDoctoral enrolments as proportion of

postgraduate enrolments even lowerPostgraduate enrolments dominated by

males

Postgraduate Enrolment by Program Level and Gender

Postgraduate Drop-Out and Completion Rates

Eg: Faculty of Health Sciences (UKZN) – 2000-2006 Average Drop-out rates for thesis-based masters:

56% Average Drop-Out for Doctoral students: 35% Average Completion Rates for thesis-based

Masters: 11% Average Completion Rates for Doctoral Students:

10%

Postgraduates with Masters and Doctoral Degrees

Nelson Mandela – 1% Doctorate; 16% Masters

Stellenbosch – 2% Doctorate; 14% Masters

South Africa: 1% Doctorate; about 25% Masters

Postgraduates with Masters and Doctoral Degrees

Academic Staff

Establishment vs VacanciesMakerere: 41% deficit in 2004/2005Much higher deficits in certain units:

Public Health – 54%Medicine – 57%EASLIS – 62%Psychology – 62%

ACADEMIC STAFF

Academic Staff By GenderAcademic Staff By Gender

Academic Staff by Age

Academic Staff by Qualification

Academic Staff by Rank

“Today we are talking of the issue of the quality of teachers in the system, a survey which is the pyramid structure, revealed that the system is deformed. Today, we are expecting 20 per cent of the staff to be reader and above, 45 per cent to be senior lecturer and others, lecturer grade 1 and below, but what do we have, 61per cent are lecturer grade 1 and below , so how can you fight a battle with scout masters?” he said (Julius Okojie in This Day, 2008).

Academic Staff by Rank

Academic Staff Pursuing Graduate Programs