ABSTRACT
Developed countries have generally moved towards mass higher education in order to nurture a well-educated workforce capable of facilitating the transformation to a knowledge-based economy. As many as half of an age-group now enter higher education. UNESCO (1999) reported a gross enrolment ratio exceeding 50 per cent in developed countries in 1997. The gross enrolment ratio is the enrolment in the sector divided by the population at the appropriate age-group. However, the UNESCO figures tend to be somewhat on the high side due to factors like early entry, repetition and taking multiple courses. It was noticeable that gross enrolment ratios for primary education often exceed 100 per cent!
