Feature
Improving the standard of Private Universities in Bangladesh:
Some Observations
Manzurul Islam
THE issue of establishment, control and survival of the private universities in Bangladesh have been widely discussed in recent times. The print media, including the Daily Star (Ref: The 16-page Supplement on 30 December 2009), has published stories on the scope and status of Non-Government Universities (NGUs) that are very revealing and appealing. Some interesting points are:
1. Out of the 3,19,472 students (other than those in the National University and Bangladesh Open University) that are enrolled in the various universities of Bangladesh, 57% (1,82,641) are enrolled in the NGUs while only 43% (1,36,831) are in the public universities. This re-stresses the need for NGUs.
2. Out of the foreign students enrolled in Bangladesh universities, 1049 are in the NGUs while only one-fifth (221) are studying in the public universities. In addition to earning some foreign exchange by Bangladesh, the concerned countries will develop higher confidence in the quality of our private universities.
3. Bangladesh is saving foreign exchange by accommodating a large number of Bangladeshi students (some estimate it as 70,000+) who would have otherwise spent their money outside the country. We are also aware that not all these students of Bangladesh could have admission even in the 'B' grade foreign universities, not to speak of top universities.
As per UGC Report 2008, private universities in Bangladesh spent over Tk 732 crore, that is, 14 crore per university on average, thus contributing a respectable amount to the GDP.
4. Even if we accept up to 60% of the 50 or more private universities as having maintained an acceptable standard, these institutions also created job opportunities for a sizable number of highly qualified faculties, executives and other personnel.
5. It has been accepted by all that NGUs like most private concerns are more dynamic, challenging, innovative and competitive than the public sector institutions. The private universities care for need-based modern courses to serve the developing nations in the immediate future.
6. The concept of offering higher education through private institutions is new in Bangladesh (hardly two decades). In the beginning, it was highly criticized and discouraged. Over a short period of 15 years or so, people started appreciating this. Universities that do not follow a quality or standard will be wiped out automatically; only the fittest will survive.
Parents send their wards to the private universities to save time (no session jam), avoid political disturbances, study in a teacher-friendly environment, and receive more technology-based modern education, justifying the cost.
In Bangladesh, justifiably there are private schools, colleges, medical colleges, hospitals, training colleges and many more. Private universities are there to stay; some of them have come of age. An effective regulatory agency of the government is needed, along with a proper accreditation council or the like. These agencies will not only frame rules and regulations or act like controlling agencies; they should also function as independent monitoring and evaluation organs. So there should be clear, positive and cooperative measures by the government to render several specific services to the private institutions. Some such steps could be:
a) Allotting minimum required land in the big cities at a subsidized or special rate (as the purpose would ultimately be to expand and improve standard of higher education) to the private universities in good standing. That will help NGUs to reduce costs on rentals, charge the students less on tuition fees, free them from other tensions.
b) Leaving the responsibility of developing courses and curriculum with the government-approved private universities, through their respective statutory bodies / councils. The University Grants Commission or any Higher Education Commission, however, may have a second look and if any major flaws and lapses are noticed, those would be referred back to the concerned university within a reasonable period (say 30 days or 60 days).
c) The government should announce from time to time a list of the top 10% or 25% or 50% or all of the universities in good standing according to an acceptable criterion.
Such criteria should be determined by a body of independent, neutral and eminent academics and other persons experienced in the management of higher education. Similarly, the government can alert the bottom 10% or 25% or 50% or all of the universities that could hardly be considered institutions qualified to offer courses at the tertiary level. Legal actions must be introduced for major defaulters, after proper cooperation and warning by the government.
d) The government should provide research grants, subsidies, scholarships, fellowships or other incentives to the students and researchers from private universities also. This will encourage them to concentrate on research-based studies in Science, Arts and Business areas for an effective contribution. Should the private universities be considered as business enterprises (and hence subject to taxation, etc) or as non-profit educational organizations (therefore, requiring all kinds of state support, except in finance). In the formation of various national committees or councils on higher education, there should be respectable representation from the private universities too; this should be proportionate to the number of students, teachers, finance and ranking of the private universities.
The above steps will require reciprocal approach of the government and the management of the private universities. Where the question of capacity-building or human resource development is concerned, all to the benefit of the nation, nothing can be achieved by a one-way measure. It has to be a two-way activity.
As the existence of private university is now well recognized, the government can additionally consider similar more innovative practices like allowing Open, Distance and Virtual Learning (ODViL) in the selected private universities. To some, this may be critical too, as was the case with the functioning of private universities in the 1990s. All possible modes of delivery, like ODViL and some more new, should be attempted to achieve qualitative, popular expansion of higher education in Bangladesh in keeping with the present government's vision for 2021 through ICT-based or Digital activities.
What is important in promoting higher education in Bangladesh is to go for globalization by a world-class education by both public and private universities. This cannot be an exclusive specialty for the public universities alone. The government should simultaneously support public-private partnership (PPP) as well.
(Professor Dr Manzurul Islam is Adviser at Southeast University and a former Adviser of Bangladesh Open University)
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