National Development Plan

It is the key to increase the coverage of higher education, says the National Development Plan that the Government submitted to Congress for consideration. The goal is to move from 35% in 2009 to 50% in 2014. The Plan calls for universities to improve the quality of education offered by linking a greater percentage of teachers and researchers with high levels of training, at the time announcing measures aimed at strengthening scientific research and technology. does but how he thinks the Government these objectives, generally regarded as desirable, insofar as they lead to economic and social development? In particular, it is feasible to achieve them with the financial means provided for the effect? Good part of the answer is in the proposed reform law 30 of 1992 – that regulates higher education – recently presented by President Santos. Defenders and critics of the proposed Government generally agree that a significant contribution of the public University the sought increase of coverage, in a way that preserved certain balance between public and private institutions in terms of the number of pupils enrolled, would require additional resources, even if efficiency gains occur. But, what role is assigned in all this to the national budget? A simulation exercise, which allows to compare the contributions actually made public universities under the law 30 in the period 2000-2010 with contributions that they would have been if the reform proposal that impels the Santos administration, had been existing in the same period sheds lights on if the Government initiative would be effective or not. Virtual implementation of reform the nation contributions provided for in the proposed reform can be classified into two: the recurring contributions and additional contributions transient. The Government’s proposal raises a rule that ata annual growth in recurring revenues from the nation to the real growth of the GDP, in a way such that the first is always less than the second.