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The positive role of the private universities in the higher education in Bangladesh is now undeniable. The epoch- making Private University Act was passed in 1992. To meet the increasing demand for higher education and produce skilled manpower the then government felt the need for establishing private universities and approved the Private University Act 1992. The Act was amended in 1998. Now in 2004 repealing the Private University Act 1992 and Private University (amended) Act 1998, a Private University Act 2004 (proposed) has been prepared to be presented in the national parliament.
The government formed a high-powered committee to look into the standard of education, infrastructure and management of the private universities. After inspecting all the private universities the Committee has already submitted the evaluation report separately to the Prime Minister and the Education Minister. Though the report was not publicly announced nor even was it sent to any private universities, ........ some parts of the reports based on speculation had been published in the national dailies. And the published report has come under fire. As a result, the government has formed a one-member investigation committee with a retired justice.
Now in our country there are 53 private universities where more than 50,000 students have been studying. The evaluation report will undoubtedly accelerate the progress of the private universities. The constructive criticism of the private universities will help achieve the aim of establishing the private universities. But it is a matter of regret that now-a-days some newspapers with vested interest and the so-called intellectuals have taken a negative stand against the private universities causing confusions among the students and guardians. They seem to be plotting against the private universities to abolish them.
The government approved the Private University Act 1992 under the circumstances which caused session jam in the public universities and they completely failed to meet the increasing demand for, and maintain the quality of, higher education. As a result our students were not able to keep pace with the students of other countries. The public universities are established and are functioning under the finance and supervision of the government as per the Public University Act, 1973 but the Act has now been proved ineffective. So the Public University Act, 1973 should also be amended along with Private University Act (proposed) 2004. I also suggest that besides amending the Act, a neutral and independent Accreditation Council should be formed to enhance the standard of education.
Now let me give my opinion about some of the sections and sub sections of the Private University Act 2004 (proposed) and their impact.
Examination system: "Answer scripts will be evaluated by two examiners (one of them will be from another university) to maintain impartiality, transparency and precision. And a uniform grading system in the private universities will be effected."
As for a uniform grading system, the authorities of the private universities should work in collaboration with the government to execute a uniform grading system immediately. But the suggestion for two examiners is not acceptable. The founders, directors, teachers and officers today in the private universities had all been students of public universities. Experience says that a number of students have lost and are losing some extra years from their career only because of two-examiner system. I think the government does not want the private universities to suffer the same problems as the public universities have. We know that the private universities follow the American curriculum. In Harvard University, the best university in the world and in IBA, the well established and most developed institute of Dhaka University, scripts are evaluated by a single examiner. No irregularities arise there. Why then comes the question of double examiners? If the teachers do not possess the moral strength they should quit that profession. When there is an overwhelming moral degradation, IBA of Dhaka University has sustained the morality correlative with one-examiner system. I request the Private University Act 2004 (proposed) Committee to look into the matter and to leave this clause out of section 8.
Section 1 1:
1. The Vice Chancellor of a private university, who will be the chief executive of the university, will be appointed by the Chancellor for a tenure of 4 years from a panel of 3 candidates proposed by the Board of trustees.
2.The Vice Chancellor must be a learned man. He must have in his professional life at least 20 years' teaching/administrative experience.
3. If necessary, the chancellor on the recommendation of the government/Trustee Board/Syndicate can terminate the Vice Chancellor.
4.In case the Vice Chancellor is unable to discharge his duties and if there is no Pro-Vice Chancellor of that university, the government can assign the job provisionally to somebody.
5.The Vice Chancellor will be an ex-officio member of the Trustee Board and the chairman of the Syndicate, Academic Council, Teacher Recruitment Committee and an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee.
Section 12- Pro -Vice Chancellor
1.The Pro-Vice Chancellor will be appointed by the Chancellor for a tenure of 4 years from a panel of 3 candidates proposed by the Board of Trustees.
2.The Pro-Vice Chancellor must be a scholar and must have at least 18 years of experience in teaching/administration.
3.The Pro-Vice Chancellor must discharge the duties imposed on him by the statutes under section 19 or by the Vice Chancellor.
4.If necessary the Chancellor can remove the Pro-Vice Chancellor on the recommendation of the Government Board /of Trustees/Syndicate.
Section-13 Treasurer
1) One Treasurer must be appointed by the Chancellor on a four-year term out of a panel of 3 proposed by the Board of Trustees.
2) It is desirable that the Treasurer also should have higher education in financial management, and should have at least 15 years' experience in teaching/administration.
3) The Treasurer must be responsible for budgeting, financial management, and discipline, and accounts of a private university.
4) If necessary, the Chancellor can remove the Treasurer on the recommendation of the Government ,'Board /of Trustees/ Syndicate.
The matter of the requirement of at least 20, 18, and 15 years of teaching/administrative experience respectively for the Vice Chancellor, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Treasurer, calls for serious consideration.
If necessary, the Chancellor can remove the Treasurer, on the recommendation of the Government; Board of Trustee / Syndicate.
The matter of the requirement of at least 20,18 and 15 years of teaching l administrative experience respectively for the Vice Chancellor, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Treasurer, should be brought under serious consideration. The average age of the executives of all the multinational companies of the world is below 50. Besides that, considering the average longevity and capacity for work of the Bangladeshi people, the requirement of 15,12 and 8years of experience can be recommended.
Section:30
"The rules and regulations of the Private University Act 2004, after it becomes effective, will be implemented within 3 years in case of the already established private universities."
In relation to this matter, 53 private universities should be categorized. There should be minimum differences between a university of 10 years old and a one of one year. Otherwise these rules will be a tyrannical imposition on the new-born universities. And the progress of the private universities will be undoubtedly hampered. It is extremely difficult to find an instance of a comparison between an institution of 10 years standing, and a one of one or two years. By any consideration it will be an unreasonable instruction that all private universities must have their own campuses within three years of their inception. If it happens at all, a grace period of 10 to 12 years should be given to all the newly established universities. Only after that The Private University Act 2004 (proposed) would be considered as a milestone in the private university establishment act. In this act, good rules and regulations have been talked about. Among them the most remarkable one is clause 29.
Accreditation Council which says, "The government will set up a neutral , free and unique Accreditation Council according to the recommendation of University Grants Commission with a view to maintaining the standard of education in the private universities. This council, after examining the course curricula, the quality of teaching and teachers, infrastructures and other relevant matters relating to the higher studies in the private universities, will place recommendations with the government for their approval. Separate regulations should be framed to determine the structure, modus operandi, and periphery of the Accreditation Council.
In 1992 an epoch - making step towards the enactment of the private universities establishment act led to the creation of the private universities. Today, after a decade, the private universities have become an inseparable part of Bangladesh, which we can neither ignore nor overlook. As the private universities are the fruits of the present government's step back in 1992, so the Private University Act 2004 (proposed) is another major break-through and a challenge in the sphere of promoting and maintaining the standard of education at the private universities.
We hope that the Education Ministry will make sure that write-ups based on speculations regarding the private University Act2004 (proposed) are not published in the newspapers as were the recent reports of the high-powered committee, which raised a great row in the country, before the bill is passed in the National Assembly. We further hope that the above-mentioned sections and subsections will be properly modified before the proposed bill is presented to the National Assembly so that the nation reverentially remembers this noble venture of the present government.
M. Abu Bakar Siddique is Treasurer of Northern University Bangladesh (NUB).
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