No way trivialising private universities

Private universities play a vital role. Photo: Zahedul I. Khan

Can private universities be ignored? I was with the question after reading Professor Mohit Ul Alam's article "Beating up on private universities" published in The Daily Star on July 29. I learnt that the government has, under a delusion that private universities are making RMG-like profit in their business of education, imposed tax on the tuition fees -- resulting in protest by the students and subsequent harassment by the police.
The government's position and decision on the private universities is really regrettable. Private universities do not deserve such treatment from the government and its law enforcing agencies. I agree with Professor Alam's opinion that private universities are better managed than public universities as there is "dynamism" in the management of the former. I write here to just supplement the observation of the respectable educationist, arguing that private universities are contributing significantly to the country's education sector.
In fact, private universities are playing a vital role in disseminating and promoting higher education in Bangladesh. Since their emergence in 1990s, they have been an important and integral part, with a rather dominant stance, of tertiary education in the country.
Private universities as well as the students studying there have, by now, outnumbered their counterparts. In the last two decades they have flourished with spectacular successes, despite some acknowledged failures. But, on the whole, their role is positive and encouraging. They can probably play an even better role if they get proper government support in the form of policy guidance.
Private university education is important because, first and foremost, they offer time-demanded courses for the aspiring students. Private universities are far ahead of the public sector in terms of using modern technology in education. Their curricula are updated in the western pattern and are revised regularly and promptly, while public universities lag behind in this respect. Private universities give students the skills required by the job markets. This sharpens the fighting edge of the graduates in the competition of employment.
Private universities are creating scope for higher study for the students who would otherwise give up education in the absence of opportunities. Public universities can accommodate only a small number of students. Those who are denied entrance may get a place in the private universities, though it would be a little costly. They are not deprived of the pride of studying in the highest seat of learning, and need not regret that their education will remain unfinished.
The private universities are saving a lot of foreign currency for the country. Some good private universities in the country attract students who, having economic solvency, would otherwise fly to foreign lands. Given the option of studying the desired subjects in the country, they tend to choose the local ones. This gives them the advantage of living with their families and acquaintances in a familiar environment.
Foreign education is not only extremely expensive but also full of risk -- the uncertainty of living and of culture shock. The second factor, particularly, causes dilution of the indigenous values, which ultimately affects national life and widens the generation gap. The choice of a local university, on the other hand, reduces the risk of disintegration of traditional social codes.
Private universities have created a culture of close teacher-student contact, unlike public universities where the teachers are often accused of being officious and reluctant to talk with students outside their class schedules. Students are also less interested in attending classes. Most private universities have the provision of mandatory class attendance and mandatory counselling for students by the teachers.
Students are awarded marks for attendance, just like they are for assignment, quiz, presentation, project and examination. It ensures frequent interaction between teachers and students, which has a positive impact on the learning process. Teachers' sanction of extra time obviously strengthens their relationship between the students. In public universities we usually find the opposite picture.
A common allegation against private universities is compromising of quality. It is often alleged that they are merely business centres and care little about the quality of education. Most regrettably, they are sometimes charged with selling certificates. I think these kinds of allegation cannot be leveled across the board. There may be stray incidents of malpractice of one kind or other but it is not applicable to all.
There are some private universities which are really committed to quality education despite having business concerns. They try to produce competent graduates with their earnest efforts. They employ scholarly teachers having PhD and foreign degrees, who are given high salary. They strive to create a congenial atmosphere and use their own developed systems for sharpening their students' skills. The ultimate beneficiaries are the students.
Private universities are doing their job in their own way. It is the responsibility of the University Grants Commission to help them in performing their job properly. If the UGC regularly monitors their activities, the irregularities in the private universities will be minimised. Through necessary legislation and actions, it may create an environment in which all private universities will come into healthy competition with one another and improve their quality to increase enrolment. That will mean "no quality no business." In this way the UGC and private universities can deliver the goods, in the best fashion, for the nation.
Private universities are now a reality. The limitations of public universities have been responsible to a great extent for the emergence and development of these private universities. In Professor Alam's words: "The reality behind the growth of private universities had been formed and cemented not in spite of but because of the existence of public universities. The public universities have become like so many other things in our nation that exist, and simply exist, and nothing else."
With all their strengths and weaknesses, private universities are going ahead with the noble mission of enlightening society with education. Public universities have taken a pioneering role, true, but private universities can never be ignored.

Dr. Binoy Barman is Assistant Professor and Head, Department of English, Daffodil International University.