Daily Sun
13th January, 2013
M. Serajul Islam
The
Daily Sun published last week an interesting investigative report on the
teaching status in the private universities. It showed that at most private
universities, the teacher student ratio is so adverse that to expect quality
product coming out of these institutions would be wishing for something that
will not happen. The University Grants Commission, the body that regulates the
private universities has mandated the teacher student ratio should not cross
1:20. Against this standard, all the private universities are outside the limit
with some of the universities having a ratio as bad as 1:83! These universities
are flouting the teacher: student ratio with contempt, like they are the
regulatory body and can pretty much do what they want. With the number of
private universities growing alarmingly, mostly in Dhaka, no one seems to ask one fundamental question.
Where are the teachers coming from?
In
truth, no one seems to be bothered. I remember long ago back in the 1980s when
I was in the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington I had met Ambassador Moslehuddin
Ahmed who recently passed away who pioneered the establishment of the
North-South University, the first of its kind in Bangladesh. He wanted the
Embassy to assist him with a few appointments with people he wanted to meet in
the University of Maryland, College Park. He wanted to meet them for ideas to
establish the North South University in Dhaka on sound footing. I thought he
was a dreamer. I could not imagine at that time that there was any possibility
of a private university in Dhaka.
My
reasons for a negative view on private universities in Dhaka at that time were
based on a few hard to explain facts. First, I could not understand why someone
would be interested to study in a private university in subjects he/she could
study in the public universities with much better teaching staff for a
ridiculously low fee against exorbitant fees in a private university. In fact,
this aspect of the fees is something that no one has still explained satisfactorily.
All over the world, as we now know, there is a mix of private and public
universities where there is a difference of fees in these two types of
institutions. Nevertheless, what we do not know or if we do, we seem to push it
under the rug, is, the difference in fees between the public and the private
universities in Bangladesh is simply unbelievable.
The
fees that public institutions take from the students is so meager that one
wonders why these institutions take these fees at all. Why not make education
free in the public universities? In contrast, the fees that the private
universities charge are so high that ordinary folks simply cannot hope or dream
to send their sons/daughters to these institutions. As a consequence, in the
public universities, the value of education has been downgraded to such an
extent that no one cares when a student enters the university and leaves it.
Our public universities have thus become something unique for which they should
find a place in the Guinness Book of Records for introducing the concept of “session
jams” in educational institutions during peace time!
Together
with the session jams, the public universities also became extremely
politicized where it was just not the students who were acting as agents of the
discredited politics of the country; even the teachers were contributing their
share. As a consequence, the public universities became unstable where parents
with means were sending their children
to study in India, UK and the United States. The private universities have
emerged as a consequence of the fear of well to do parents with the public
universities. Thus when the first private universities were established, like
for instance the North-South University and the Independent University, they
were able to establish themselves immediately. They got good students and were
also able to provide quality education. They of course made hefty sums of money
from the exorbitant fees they charged.
Then
as happens with anything good in Bangladesh, there was a rush to follow this
initial success of a few private universities. The University Grants Commission
that had the responsibility to regulate these institutions was unable to keep
pace with the mushroom growth. Right under its nose; these private universities
became tools in the hands of those who entered into the sector with business
concerns uppermost in their minds than their desire to serve the cause of
knowledge. The UGC slept and forgot to ask a few fundamental questions. First,
why was this sudden rush on parts of a few to serve the cause of education in
the country? Second, where were the teachers coming from? As the USG slept, the
public universities came to the rescue as their teachers started moon shining
in the private universities. In fact
moon shining would be an inappropriate description; the highly qualified
teachers of the public universities showed more interest in teaching in the
private universities because they were paid very well and the public university
authorities and the UGC looked the other way.
Soon,
even moon shining by the teachers of the public universities in the private
universities was unable to keep pace with the mushroom growth of private
universities. Thus the private universities that did not have adequate teachers
working full time to start have now been stretched beyond their limits to
maintain the teacher/student ratio as mandated by the UGC. The prospect of
teachers with PhD or post graduate degrees from abroad with chance to serve in
a foreign university or institution coming to serve in a private university in
Bangladesh is bleak. With this being the case, where would these universities
look for qualified teaching staff? Hence, the ratio of teachers to students in
these private universities is going to worsen till such time as the country
would have teachers with PhDs or post graduate degrees acquired in the country
and ready to serve in these universities.
The
only way out of the doomsday scenario facing the future of public universities
on the very important factor of teacher student ratio is to first, put a
temporary stop to the growth of any new private university immediately; and,
second, phase out the good number of private universities that is contributing
nothing to the standard of education in the country but are there to allow few
individuals make money. The UGC does not allow money to be taken out as profit
by these universities. Nevertheless, there are many tricks by which the
“sponsors” of these private universities are beating the system with the UGC as
the watchdog against these tricks, unable or unwilling to take action.
One
trick through which the “sponsors” of private universities are making money is
the sale of degrees; now a very well established fact. Even the best of the
private universities manipulate with the grades. Overall, there is just no
supervision in the quality of education they provide. In fact, most of these
universities dish out BBAs and MBAs so that those who pass out can enter the
country’s banking industry that provides the best jobs in the country. In fact,
if the private banks had not taken off after the 1990s to serve the country’s
RMG sector, there would not have been so many private universities in the
country. This one dimensional approach to growth and development of such an
important sector as private universities cannot be good for the country.
There
is immediate need to look into the state of affairs within the private
universities. A few good private universities, much needed for the country, are
being contaminated by a large number of such universities that are openly
involved in doing business with education and breaking the backbone of higher
education in the country. As a starter, the UGC should enforce the mandated
teacher/student ratio to begin the weeding process.
The writer is a retired career
Ambassador and Secretary.
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