2009 年 7 月 16 日

書き抜き読書ノート 291

OECD 編「知識社会に向けての高等教育− Tertiary Education for the Knowledge Society − 」
OECD 2008 年刊を読む
知識社会に向けての高等教育− Tertiary Education for the Knowledge Society −１．The growing focus on tertiary education(１)Tertiary education policy is increasingly important on national agendas. The
widespread recognition that tertiary education is a major driver of economic
competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy has made highquality
tertiary education more important than ever before. The imperative for countries isto raise higher-level employment skills, to sustain a globally competitive research baseand to improve knowledge dissemination to the benefit of society.
(２)Tertiary education contributes to social and economic development through four
major missions:① The formation of human capital (primarily through teaching);② The building of knowledge bases (primarily through research and knowledgedevelopment);③ The dissemination and use of knowledge (primarily through interactions withknowledge users); and④ The maintenance of knowledge (inter-generational storage and transmission ofknowledge).
(３)The scope and importance of tertiary education have changed significantly. Over40 years ago tertiary education, which was more commonly referred to as highereducation, was what happened in universities. This largely covered teaching and learning
requiring high level conceptual and intellectual skills in the humanities, sciences andsocial sciences, the preparation of students for entry to a limited number of professions
such as medicine, engineering and law, and disinterested advanced research andscholarship. These days, tertiary education is much more diversified and encompasses
new types of institutions such as polytechnics, university colleges, or technologicalinstitutes. These have been created for a number of reasons: to develop a closer
relationship between tertiary education and the external world, including greater
responsiveness to labour market needs; to enhance social and geographical access to-1-

tertiary education; to provide high-level occupational preparation in a more applied andless theoretical way; and to accommodate the growing diversity of qualifications andexpectations of school graduates.
(３)As participation in tertiary education has expanded, tertiary education institutions(TEIs) have assumed responsibility for a far wider range of occupational preparation thanin the past. As the result of a combination of the increased knowledge base of manyoccupations and individuals aspirations, not only doctors, engineers and lawyers but also

nurses, accountants, computer programmers, teachers, pharmacists, speech therapists, andbusiness managers now receive their principal occupational qualifications from a TEI.
Furthermore, TEIs are now involved in a wider range of teaching than their traditional
degree-level courses. While the extent of such teaching is not large, many examples canbe found of TEIs that offer adult education and leisure courses, upper secondary courses
to prepare students for tertiary-level study, and short specific occupational preparation at
sub-degree level. In addition, it has become more common for TEIs not only to engage inteaching and research, but also to provide consultancy services to industry andgovernment and to contribute to national and regional economic and social development.
(４)Substantial reforms are taking place in tertiary education systems mainly aimed at
encouraging institutions to be more responsive to the needs of society and the economy.
This has involved a reappraisal of the purposes of tertiary education and the setting bygovernments of new strategies for the future. It has also involved more room of
manoeuvre for institutions but with clearer accountability for the institutions to society.
The tertiary sector is expected to contribute to equity, ensure quality and operate
efficiently.
２．Main trends within tertiary education
Although not all countries are in the same position, a number of trends within tertiary
education emerge.
(１) Expansion of tertiary education systems
The expansion of tertiary education has been remarkable in recent decades. Globally,in 2004, 132 million students enrolled in tertiary education, up from 68 million in 1991.
Average annual growth in tertiary enrolment over the period 1991-2004 stood at 5.1%
worldwide.
(２) Diversification of provision
Expansion of tertiary education was accompanied by a diversification of provision.
New institution types emerged, educational offerings within institutions multiplied,
private provision expanded, and new modes of delivery were introduced.
-2-(３) More heterogeneous student bodies
The rise of female participation has been the most noteworthy trend affecting thecomposition of student bodies in tertiary education. A second prominent development is
the growing participation of more mature students leading to a rise in the average age ofstudent bodies. In addition, in most countries, tertiary student bodies are increasingly
heterogeneous in terms of socio-economic background, ethnicity and previous education.
(４) New funding arrangements
A number of trends are also discernible in funding arrangements for tertiary
education. First, there has been a diversification of funding sources. Second, theallocation of public funding for tertiary education is increasingly characterised by greatertargeting of resources, performance-based funding, and competitive procedures. Third, anumber of countries are expanding their student support systems.
(５) Increasing focus on accountability and performance
The development of formal quality assurance systems is one of the most significant
trends that have affected tertiary education systems during the past few decades. Startingin the early 1980s quality became a key topic in tertiary education policy. The expansionof tertiary education has raised questions about the amount and direction of public
expenditure for tertiary education. In addition to fiscal constraints, increased market
pressures have also fostered the growing focus on accountability in tertiary education.
(６) New forms of institutional governanceOver the past few decades important changes have occurred in the leadership oftertiary education institutions, including the emergence of new perspectives on academic
leadership and new ways of organising the decision-making structure. Academic leaders
are increasingly seen as managers, coalition-builders or entrepreneurs.
(７) Global networking, mobility and collaboration
Tertiary education is becoming more internationalised and increasingly involves
intensive networking among institutions, scholars, students and with other actors such asindustry. International collaborative research has been strengthened by the dense
networking between institutions and cross-border funding of research activities.
３．Main policy challenges(１)In the governance of tertiary education, the ultimate objective of educational
authorities as the guardians of public interest is to ensure that public resources areefficiently spent by TEIs to societal purposes. There is the expectation that institutions areto contribute to the economic and social goals of countries. This is a mixture of many-3-

demands, such as: quality of teaching and learning defined in new ways including greater
relevance to learner and labour market needs; research and development feeding intobusiness and community development; contributing to internationalisation andinternational competitiveness.
(２)There is a tension between the pursuit of knowledge generation as a self-determined
institutional objective and the statement of national priority as defined in the aims andgoals of the tertiary system. The objective, from a governance point of view, is then toreconcile the priorities of the individual institutions and the broader social and economic
objectives of countries. This entails determining how far the former contributes to thelatter as well as clarifying the degree of latitude the institution has in pursuing its own
self-established objectives. The main policy challenges are listed in Table 1. Most
countries face the challenge of simultaneously raising tertiary education participation
rates, improving quality and achieving a sustainable level of financial support. Manycountries are also now in a transition from a focus on quantity to a greater emphasis on
the quality, coherence, and equity of tertiary education.
［コメント］
OECD によ る知識基 盤社会に おける高等教育のあるべき姿に向けての大研 究の集 大成 。教育関係者すべての必読書。
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