Digital Bangladesh
ESTABLISHMENT of a digital Bangladesh by 2021 is the main motto of the newly elected government. The slogan was timely tuned to attract a large number of young voters to vote for the boat. But digital Bangladesh might slip back in the absence of a national education policy embracing secular, scientific, and sustainable system.
As a university teacher, I shall mostly dwell on the present status of the universities and the changes we need to move towards digital Bangladesh. Please note that this is my personal position based on my experience of Jahangrinagar University only.
To begin with, let me note that a digital Bangladesh is inconceivable with a "divided" or multi-track education system. We need to ensure a one-track education system. The inner sub-systems within the whole education system should be done away with. This requires that major stakeholders come to a consensus on the modalities immediately.
In terms of capital expenditure in education, resources should be shifted away from primary education to secondary education. This is because the proportion of primary school going children has been falling over time. However, resources on training of teachers and other logistics should continue to pour in.
Time has come to decide whether HSC level should be replaced with 12 years of schooling period. Free education up to degree level is a welcome declaration for a digital Bangladesh. De-politicisation of the committees of the institutions is a must to move forward.
Coming to universities, I reckon that the University Act (1973) requires rigorous revision for two reasons. First, the previous government has allegedly encroached upon the rules of an autonomous university postulated by the parliament. The then government removed three elected VCs (of JU, DU and RU) by invoking a clause that dates back 300 years! If elected VCs could be removed with the stroke of a pen, then why there is election?
Second, the composition of the syndicate, senate and other academic bodies should be revisited so that "too much democracy" does not disdain academic developments.
Third, special mention may be made of teachers' lack of accountability and absence of actions against them. In all universities, students should have the right to evaluate the performances of the teachers concerned in terms of the total appearance in the class, quality of teaching, and releasing the results. The promotion policy of universities should give more weight to class intake and departmental duties. Two-thirds of the weight should be devoted to these activities and one-third to research and publications.
I fear that the current status of student politics would deter a digital Bangladesh. Mostly controlled by political parties to suit their agenda, student politics heavily affects the academic environment. Under the present system, there is very little chance for merit to override muscle. Unless student politics is streamlined by politicians through a productive debate in the parliament, public universities would remain in disarray and a digital Bangladesh would hardly be on the horizon.
No less harmful is the teachers' politics in public universities. But allow me to suggest two options to stem the rot: (a) Any candidate vying for the post of VC must have 10-12 publications from the date of his/her professorship; (b) The senate should select only one name for VC instead of three for chancellor approval; (c) In addition to academic results, a candidate seeking teaching jobs in university should pass a certain period (at least two years) as internee.
While condition (a) would address the question of academic excellence of a VC, conditions (b) and (c) might reduce the pressure for the politics of teachers. En passant, I mentioned earlier that selection of dean among senior teachers and dropping lecturers from syndicate would help the same to a certain degree.
Public universities should serve as the laboratories for the private sector. Many industries are located in North Carolina just because there are a few world famous universities there. University authorities should establish contacts with private industrial houses to provide them with experiments. Private commercial and industrial houses should also invest in public universities in terms of research funding, infrastructure buildings, etc.
Thus, the establishment of a digital Bangladesh requires that the divided education system should be done away with. A secular, scientific and one-track system should help us reach the shore.
As far as university education is concerned, old mindsets need to be changed; productivity should take over politics; public-private partnership needs to be built; merit should override muscle. Digital Bangladesh warrants development in the education sectorin fact it demands a new education order. Time is short though, progress cannot be tardy.
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