Methodological Foundations of the Recognition and Measurement of Accounting Elements in Private Higher Education Institutions

The article examines the methodological foundations for recognising and measuring accounting elements in private higher education institutions. The study highlights the importance of assessing economic substance when classifying inflows, as the same inflow may constitute equity, a liability or income depending on the conditions attached to it. A five-stage sequence of recognition and measurement decisions is substantiated, in which the funding source and the type of activity are treated as classification attributes rather than as supplementary information. The main conclusion is that, in the education sector, the assessment of economic substance must precede the selection of a measurement basis, and both must be documented in the accounting policy.