The very reliable Program for Research on Private Higher Education recently released a study of Thai private higher education. With the returns to higher education growing rapidly in many developing countries - including Thailand - the question of expanding access to higher education is no small matter. According to the new study, Inside Thai Private Higher Education, private higher education has been growing like gangbusters:
Thai PHEIs [private higher education institutions] have grown into one of the principal industries in producing manpower for the job markets in both domestic and international realms. In 2006, approximately 45 percent of the total Thai higher education institutions are private with the enrollment share of 13 percent (Praphamontripong forthcoming). In fact, over the past several decades since the first enactment of the Private Higher Education Act, the enrollment share of private sector has grown progressively.
Perhaps this has something to do with Thailand's overall success at boosting post-secondary enrollment? According to a World Bank study, more than one-third of Thais aged 18-21 were enrolled in higher education in 2005. That puts it just behind the Czech Republic and just ahead of Slovakia in terms of enrollment rates. Not too shabby.
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