PRIVATE SECTOR OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN WESTERN SIBERIA

Abstract

Abstract. The article explores the experience of establishment of private higher institutions in Western Siberia in the 1990s. New higher institutions were intended to develop the competitive environment in the market of educational services and to open “a new window” of opportunities to provide a wide range of people with possibility to get higher education. General trends in the private educational sector development throughout Russia as well as its regional characteristics and peculiarities can be derived on the base of regional experience. World experience in this field argues that private education is a promising idea. In England, for instance, 74% of the judges, 51% of famous journalists and 61% of qualified doctors received higher education in private higher institutions. But in Russia there are many obstacles to implementation of generally recognized ideas. The difficulties are related to fundamental reasons and slick solutions of the Ministry of Education of Russia. The period of 1995–2000 was the years of the most rapid development of the private higher educational institutions which were being established at that time. However, the period of well-being and prosperity had gone rather quickly, and private education together with the state education, entered a period of crisis. The author outlines demographic situation in the country, small number of school leavers and acute competition for applicants between private and state higher institutions. Facing the hard difficulties a range of regional universities and branches ceased their activity in Western Siberia.