Educationalists say that the past reputation of the University of Dhaka, which is celebrating its 90th founding anniversary today, for its educational excellence has fallen sharply in recent years.
The view of the educationalists is mirrored in its decline in the Quacquarelli Symonds rankings of universities around the world where it has fallen from 365th best university in 2005 to between 550 and 600 in 2010.
Once known as the 'Oxford of the East,' the university is now ranked only between 151 and 200 in its
Asian university rankings which have just recently been published.
Low-quality research work and publications, poor library and laboratory facilities, lack of motivation and interest of both teachers and students and a politicised teacher recruitment process has created the current situation, the educationalist argued.
'We have to admit that the education quality in Dhaka University had dropped during in recent decades,' professor emeritus Anisuzzaman told New Age.
Serajul Islam Choudhury, another professor emeritus of the university, told New Age that a 'serious lack of motivation on part of both the university teachers and students has helped in reducing the quality of education.'
Nazrul Islam, a former chairman of the University Grants Commission, told New Age that 'in the global context, the quality of the education in the university in general had deteriorated.'
He observed that the lack of quality research undertaken and the low number of quality journal publications along with politicised teacher recruitment had created such a position.
'Now we have a high quantity of journal publications and a large number of graduates but most of them are average or below average' he added.
Siddikur Rahman, a professor at the Institute of Education and Research in Dhaka University, also acknowledged that the quality of education has sharply dropped as the university had failed to address its main purpose of creating 'new knowledge.'
He also said that teachers' promotion should be made contingent on quality research and that the university authorities should strictly restrict teachers from teaching at institutions other than Dhaka University and from doing consultancy as 'this hampers classroom teaching a lot.'
All the educationists blamed the decline in the quality of research to a serious crisis of funding and condemned the politicised teacher recruitment.
'The best qualified, meritorious people should be appointed teachers in the university,' said Anisuzzaman as without the best teachers you would not get the best results regarding quality education and creating knowledge.
'A party-affiliated teacher fails to give proper guidance to the students in the classrooms,' added Serajul Islam Choudhury.
He also said that as there was little link between education and employment scope. Students these days hardly pay any attention to their books and simply depend on 'photocopying other people's notes,' he added.
'Most of the teachers are busy with consultancies, making project proposals for different organisations and teaching at other institutes and do not help with the needs of DU students,' Serajul said.
Former DU vice-chancellor SMA Faiz also said that the university lack behind other universities in library and laboratory facilities in the global context.
'The university which was known once as the Oxford of East has almost lost its status,' Faiz said.
The current UGC chairman, AK Azad Chowdhury, also former DU vice-chancellor, did not respond directly to questions about whether there had been a fall in education quality, instead he blamed the decline in rankings to 'other universities of the world progressing whilst DU is failing to keep the pace with them,' he said.
He also raised questions about the credibility of the ranking and said that many of these ranking criteria were based on issues that are not relevant to the university.
'But it is true that there is lack of providing priority for the tertiary-level education in our country,' AK Azad said.
AAMS Arefin Siddique, the vice-chancellor of the university, said that in terms of quality and efficiency, DU graduates were of international standards and this was not reflected in the rankings.
'I can assure you that the quality of education in the university has improved a lot,' Arefin told New Age.
He said that in the past, there were political recruitments but during his period, there was no recruitment of this kind.
'We will make our research visible and digitise publications as soon as possible,' he added.
The university enrols every year more than 5,800 students on the basis of merit in the first-year bachelor's course in different departments of the faculties and the institutes.
At present, approximately 32,000 students are enrolled in this university and are taught by about 1,700 teachers.
According to January 2011 edition of the Webometrics Ranking of World Universvities, which looks at the number of electronic publications relating to the university on the internet, Dhaka university ranked the 7707th amongst universities with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology ranking far higher at the 2668th.
On the occasion of its 90th founding anniversary, the university will begin the day's programme with the hositing of the national and the university flag.
The authorities will also cut cakes, hold discussions, concerts and others programme today.
The day's programme will begin at 9:00am at the mall in front of the registrar's building by hoisting the national and the university flag and cutting a 90-pound cake.
The university will hold a discussion at the Teachers-Students Centre after the opening ceremony.
The University Grants Commission chairman will read out the keynote paper on 'Tertiary-level education in national development' at the discussion.
The authorities along with the Alliance Française de Dhaka will hold a musical concert at the mall at 4:00pm. The Department of Theatre will stage a drama at the TSC in the evening.
The authorities said that the programmes would be open to all.
The university was set up on the first day of July 1921, opening it all doors to higher education in this part of the then British-India.
Source : New Age
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