University admission test: Hasty decision will not help
THE decision of the Dhaka University (DU) authorities to ban admission seekers from sitting for admission test for the second time is a pragmatic one considering the situation. But it has put the admission seekers of 2014 batch in a quandary because they were caught unprepared by the abrupt decision. There is no denying that allowing the students to sit for the test a second time forces first time admission seekers to face unequal competition. Students passing the HSC examination in 2014 got less than two months' time to prepare for the test, whereas students of 2013 batch got more than a year.
Statistics reveal that 48% of the students selected for admission in the department of their choice were second time admission seekers. Because of mass migration of students from the department they studied in for one year, about 450 seats fall vacant every year, and that vacancy ran up to Master's level. In view of the seat crisis in a premier institution like DU, where almost 46 students are vying for one seat, this loss is colossal and totally unacceptable. The decision taken by the DU authorities will hit the batch of 2014 very hard, if implemented from 2015. But in view of the large number of seats falling vacant every year, sooner or later a brake had to be applied to give merit a chance and encourage aspiring students to prove their worth.
All concerned hold the view that there has been a catastrophic decline in the standard of education during the past several years. High-ups in the education administration might also agree after a thorough analysis of the state of education that there was hardly any correlation between achieving golden A-plus and acquiring knowledge. Eminent educationists hold the view that the educational scene does not inspire much hope. They further assert that it would be unwise to do away with admission test at this juncture without making serious effort to improve the quality of education at SSC and HSC levels. Though learning in classes throughout the nooks and corners of the country is being replaced by coaching centres, there is no scope for nurturing talent or building the basics in such centres. Students learn by rote the answers of model questions, which in most cases are set in the examinations, and achieve success.
The students are not at fault for such large scale failure in admission test in DU because it was not the question of pass or fail, it was the question of selecting the best out of a big number of successful candidates in view of the limited number of seats available. It would be unwise and unjust to penalise the batch of 2014 students without warning them beforehand. The decision by the DU authorities will go a long way in arresting desertion of seats from different departments in the University.
Most shockingly, consequent upon the unequal competition the batch of 2014 admission seekers had to face, the majority of them almost lost the battle. It was learnt authoritatively that out of 45,053 students selected for admission in DU this year, 21,493 students came from the 2013 batch! Evidently, when a student loses one academic year in his career, he or she gets psychologically upset, loses the desire for studying or making an effort for achieving excellence.
The decision of the DU authorities will no doubt open a floodgate for private universities. Given the fact that many students, although meritorious, are not able to bear the cost of education in a private university, their education would come to an abrupt end because of the decision. Experience shows that students of earlier batch resorted to foul means like taking help of digital technology. This has to be stopped totally by shutting down mobile network for the duration of the examination. Strict monitoring and effective vigilance in the exam hall are the only means to arrest fraud and unfair practice. With about 600 teachers at the disposal of the DU, at least one DU teacher could be employed in each exam room along with others when admission tests are held outside the boundary of the university.
The problem may be solved by raising the standard of universities outside Dhaka. This will necessitate recruiting qualified teachers, and offering them attractive salary and residential facilities near the campus. For example, if Rangpur or Pabna University has qualified teachers in each department, well-stocked library, 24-hr Wi-Fi internet facilities, equipped laboratories, as well as residential facilities, then students of North Bengal would definitely study in those universities. The rush to DU has to be stopped by offering incentives like scholarships to students when they enroll themselves in other universities. On the other hand, a teacher at Dinajpur or Rangpur University must not feel disenchanted for being away from Dhaka and must be allowed to avail scholarships for enhancement of academic degrees on equal footing with other premier universities.
The writer is a columnist of The Daily Star.
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