%0 Journal Article %T A FUN O SOCIAL DAS INSTITUIC ES PARTICULARES DE ENSINO SUPERIOR NO CEN¨¢RIO EDUCACIONAL BRASILEIRO %A Fernando de Sousa Santana %J Colloquium Humanarum %D 2011 %I University of Western Sao Paulo, UNOESTE %R 10.5747/ch.2011.v08.n2.h107 %X This article has as main objective to make a consideration about the importance and essentiality of private higher education based on the Brazilian educational scenario. Relying on an investigation into the nature and role of private institutions, this study sought to make a short reasoning of the involvement of private enterprise in higher education expansion in Brazil, well as investigate and expose data from the evaluation of education quality in this segment. The research was exploratory and aimed, primarily through analysis of the assessments made by the National Institute of Educational Studies Anisio Teixeira (INEP), Ministry of Education (MEC), verify the role of private higher education in the Brazilian social context. We can display, among other conclusions, the private institutions unburden the Brazilian government of its responsibilities, allow a rapid democratization of education, providing opportunities to those who cannot join in public institutions, and meet the demand of the labor market, seeking competent professionals, trained and constantly training. %K Private institutions of higher education %K quality %K social function %U http://revistas.unoeste.br/revistas/ojs/index.php/ch/article/viewFile/441/635