AS per report of an English daily, the public universities cannot provide residential facilities to seven out of ten students, forcing them to live outside the campuses spending more money. In more simple words, seventy percent of the students attending state-run universities have no residential accommodation and for that they are being forced to bear extra-cost for pursuing education. This in turn increases their educational expenses, causes economic hardship and affects their academic activities according to the report. The University Grants Commission statistics show that while the number of students increases substantially each year at public universities, accommodation facilities at the residential halls remain static. The report further revealed the shocking facts that around 64 percent students of public universities, excluding National University (NU) and Open University (OU), had no accommodation facilities in 2009 which increased to 69 percent in 2013. The gap between the availability of seats and the total students gives ruling party backed student organisation the chance to make general students hostages and compel them to join political activities in favour of their organisation in exchange of seats, clarified university teachers. Seat allocation is now a good business for those so-called student leaders.
The government was asked on numerous occasions to mitigate the sufferings of the students by building halls on public universities but the government cannot provide funds for residential facilities to seven out of ten students, forcing them to live outside the campuses. This increases their educational expenses, causes economic hardship and affects their academic activities. Thus, a good number of students are compelled to share their single bed with another student at the dormitories. Students are also living crammed in rooms, verandahs or at other places, if any, due to shortage of accommodation in almost all dormitories. Students who do not get seats in university halls live in ‘messes,’ which are rented houses outside the campuses, and face difficulties for lack of transport and security.
It is quite apparent that female students are the worst sufferers of the severe accommodation crisis as house owners were often not willing to rent out houses to girls as well as the lack of security. In many cases, it is barring their higher education.
Inadequate budgetary allocation for the education sector in the national budget is the reason behind such a residential crisis at public universities. But the government, particularly the Education Ministry, often makes too loud a propaganda that they have attained enormous success in furthering the cause of education in the country and have taken it (education) to a new height. Budgetary allocation for higher education should be increased and the government must make efforts to make it easier for students to have basic amenities like housing available so that they can focus completely on their studies.
