Brussels, 15/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - In a press release further to the appearance of the new OECD annual report on education (see EUROPE 10451), the European Students' Union (ESU) considers that the use of private investment to finance higher education must not be aimed at making up for the lack of public investment. According to the ESU, national governments must put more emphasis on the importance of public funding for higher education, instead of relying primarily on private resources, which appears to be the case at present (OECD states that the share of public investment in higher education establishments of members states went from 74% in 1994, to 73% in 2000, 68% in 2007 and 67% in 2008). It is alarming to note that governments do not take into account the expansion of higher education, when they have made access to education a political objective. “Higher education should be accessible to all learners, especially to those most at risk. (…) We do not support the shift from public to private funding and call upon the governments to match political commitments with budgetary measures”, said Allan Päll, ESU President. (IL/transl.jl)