Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said University Grants Commission (UGC) will be strengthened further with giving more power to ensure its better contribution to enhance quality of higher education.
“The proposed Higher Education Commission (HEC) would replace the existing regulatory UGC with enhanced authority to monitor higher education in universities,” he said this on Friday while speaking at an award-giving ceremony at the auditorium of National Museum in the city.
The awards and certificates were distributed among top ranking colleges at the function.
Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof Abdul Mannan, among others, addressed the function with Vice Chancellor of National University Prof Dr Harun-or-Rashid in the chair.
Nahid said the government was set to constitute an accreditation council to rate the public and private universities alongside a new commission with enhanced authority to monitor their academic activities.
The council will introduce grading system of both public and private universities based on their standard of education, he added.
“I hope that the accreditation council bill will be passed at the next session of the Jatiya Sangsad,” the minister added.
Nahid said budgetary allocation should be at least four percent of GDP or 15 percent of the national budget as the World Education Forum laid emphasis on enhancing public funding for education.
“The World Education forum set a minimum budgetary allocation of four percent of GDP or 15 percent of total budget,” he added.
Nahid described ranking system at college level as good beginning and there is long way to make it an effective one. “I hope the new ranking system will contribute significantly to identify best colleges based on good academic performance,” he added.
Rajshahi College secured top position among the honours colleges at the national level for its best academic performance for 2015 while Eden Mohila College, Dhaka achieved second position, Dhaka College third, Dhaka Commerce College fourth and Govt Brajmohan(BM) College, Barisal fifth position.
