IU faces shortage of teachers

The Islamic University (IU) faces an acute shortage of teachers. As a result educational activities in the university, especially in three new subjects of Applied Science and Technology (AST) faculty are being hampered greatly.

A total of 367 students in 12 batches of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Biotechnology (BT) and Applied Food and Nutrition Science (AFNS) are suffering a lot due to irregularities in their class schedule.

The said departments are running with only 16 teachers since inception in 1998. Because of small number of teachers against the demand, proper schedule of class routine cannot be maintained.

In ICT department, there are only four teachers for 129 students under four batches, while one teacher is on study leave. There are six teachers for 118 students in BT department. Three of them are on study leave. There are five teachers for 120 students in AFNS department in four batches. One of them is on study leave.

Initially some senior teachers of three other departments used to teach in the new three departments.

Some senior teachers became chairmen in the ICT and AFNS departments, but it became a burden for them. It has become necessary to appoint some senior teachers in the three new departments immediately.

Students in those departments usually come to the university campus by bus covering about 25 kilometres from Kushtia and Jhenidah towns. But ultimately they have to return after killing seven or eight hours of their valuable time without any class.

Some students of the three departments said that the authorities concerned of the university are less concerned about their problems.

The authorities concerned should realise the reality at the earliest possible time, otherwise the students would be the worst sufferers.

When contacted with the Dean of the AST faculty Prof M Alauddin, he said, " It is hard to manage the present schedule of classes of the three departments by a small number of teachers as the size of the batches has become larger than ever before."

Students of the three departments might have to face a session jam if new teachers are not appointed immediately.