Jandhyala B. G. Tilak

“In recent years […] the growth in market forces […] tend to question or simply gloss over the long-cherished, well-established view of many that higher education is a public good and to propose and legitimize the sale and purchase of education, as if it is a commodity meant for trade.” Which is a bad thing according to Tilak, since the “exclusion of the poor from the consumption of education will result in a loss of overall equity as well as efficiency in the economy.” From higher productivity, to democracy, equity and lower crime-rates; Tilak explores the benefits of public education that private education simply can’t provide. What’s more, there are serious dangers to “knowledge capitalism” – which would restrict the dissemination of new knowledge – and treating higher education as a commodity – not only because it violates our human right to higher education (UN, 1948). Leave a comment if you like.

• His complete paper: Jandhyala B.G. Tilak (2009) “HE a public good or a commodity?”
• Or a shorter interview: “On private and public higher education”