Higher Education in Contemporary Central America

In: Journal of Inter-American Studies, Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 445-461

Abstract

"The National University? Of course, I use it for political purposes—pay a student to stay in school to fight the communists. Yes, he's 35 years old, been there quite a while. The name of the Rector? I don't know.""No, I've never given any money to the university—I've never been asked. Library? I don't know whether they have one or not. Don't the students listen to the lectures?"These comments illustrate the widespread feelings of public indifference and hostility toward higher education in Central America today. They also underscore the need for better information about higher education and the need to reduce the gap between the universities and the societies in which they operate.The universities of Central America have long been tottery towers built on inadequate structures of national public education. Their marginal utility as centers of learning and intellectual leadership is evidenced in many ways: in low levels of financial support; rundown physical facilities; weak administrations and consequent weaknesses in the standards of teaching, research and student academic performance.