Private universities: Blessing or a curse?
K M Zubair Sadeque, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, USA
I believe the role of the private universities in providing higher education in Bangladesh is often unappreciated and the criticisms that the private universities are subjected to, are often uncalled for. In an environment where the public universities are characterised by inadequate resources, campus violence, student politics, etc., the private universities are presenting the opportunity to get quality education to many students who otherwise would have gone abroad. I for one am very glad that I chose to complete my undergraduate studies in North South University (NSU). Now six years later when I look back, I can say for sure that I would not have reached where I am today if I went to a public university for my undergraduate studies.An indirect but important role that the private universities are playing is often overlooked. The private universities are helping to improve the quality of education in the public universities. The competitive environment that has been created as a result of the emergence of the private universities is forcing the public universities to revise their curriculum and improve their standards. Public institutions like IBA are now forced to rethink the way it managed its affairs in the past. I am sure if IBA still had the monopoly in business education, it would have been in a worse shape than it is today. I think one reason why many people criticise the private university system is the recent mushroom growth of private universities. I do not understand how so many institutions could sprang up in such a short span of time given the supposedly stringent requirements of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for establishing a private university. Is it that the UGC is failing to perform its regulatory role or that the requirements are not stringent enough? Whatever may be the case, just because there happens to be a lacklustre performance on the part of UGC in giving approval to new institutions, it should not provide a justification for widespread criticism towards the private university system. Maybe it is time for UGC to stop giving approval to any new institution and create a policy environment where both the public and the existing private universities can improve their quality to meet the needs of thousands of education seekers.
|
|
