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The value of higher education: Full-time or part-time?

1987; Routledge; Volume: 12; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03075078712331378161

1470-174X

Malcolm Tight,

Higher Education Research Studies

ABSTRACT Consideration of the value of higher education is made difficult by problems of definition, the alternative perspectives possible and the need to place any evaluation in a comparative setting. This paper addresses these difficulties by comparing the value (and values) of two alternative forms of higher education, full-time and part-time, in terms of six related themes—demand, access and equity; maturity and adulthood; employment and activity; residence; cost-effectiveness and productivity; flexibility and innovation. It concludes that part-time higher education is seriously undervalued in this country, and that a shift in the balance of provision is required in order to increase the overall value of higher education for most people in most circumstances. A framework for examining the value of higher education alongside alternative activities or investments is then briefly presented.