Relaxing eligibility criteria of admission
THE English Department at Dhaka University has been compelled to relax its requirements for admission after the shockingly poor performance of applicants hoping to pursue higher education in English. Although this move was necessary to fill the required number of seats and to give aspiring students a chance to study in the esteemed institution, we are concerned that the 'solution' is a band-aid one, addressing only the symptoms rather than the cause of the problem.
The admission tests and low success rate of students, not just in the English department but in general, have raised very crucial questions about the education system itself. We are concerned about the possibility of grade inflation – of a skewed scale that conceals entrenched problems within the system.
We do not question the students' abilities, but that of a system that discourages critical thinking, creativity and engaged pedagogy. We are concerned about the quality of English teachers at the secondary and tertiary levels and the methods they are employing to inculcate interest in the language. Mechanical teaching methods, tedious exercises and uninspiring textbooks cannot produce students with a nuanced understanding of the language. It is high time we revisit what the students are really learning, and how.
Instead of blaming the DU departments for setting difficult questionnaires, the government would be well-advised to reconsider the implications of overlooking the shortcomings of our education system: of creating, in the end, an ignorant generation with the right official qualifications.
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