Developing an Integrated Model for Policy Management in Private Higher Educational Institutions in South Africa

Abstract

Educational policy in South Africa is formulated at macro-level under the National Minister of Education by his/her department and has to be implemented by educational institutions at the micro-l evel within the parameters of the legislative mandates. This research investigated tensions regarding policy ma nagement at the micro-level about issues of funding, collaboration, quality, access and autonomy using a structured questionnaire to probe the perceptions of respondents from registered Private Higher Education Institutions. Inferential analysis of the data showed that these tensions had two underlying components namely aspects with potentially positive and potentially negative influences. The unique contribution of this research was the development of an integrated model allowing all stakeholders involved with providing higher education to become involved in a del iberative dialogue where the interactions between micro- and macro-levels of policy development can be considered.