M M Jasim :
The ratio between teachers and students in the classrooms does not ensure quality higher education at all.
Most of the public and private universities in the country do not have the ideal ratio between teachers and students.
The 44th Annual Report-2017 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) recommended for maintaining the ratio at an ideal level.
UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan along with UGC members and top officials submitted the annual report to President Abdul Hamid on October 18.
There are 13,580 teachers for 2,83,866 students at 34 public universities, excluding National University, Open University and Islamic Arabic University, in the country.
Besides, the number of teachers is 16,020 at private universities against 3,54,333 students in the country as per the UGC latest report.
The report also shows that the teacher-student ratio at 12 public and 13 private universities for higher studies is more than 1:28.
But the educationists said the perfect teacher-student ratio at a higher educational institution should be 1:20 for imparting quality education to the learners.
The UGC report, which reveals over 1:30 ratio at 13 private universities and over 1:28 at 12 public universities, is frustrating as it has given a sorry state of education in these institutions, they noted.
The 13 private universities, where the Teacher-Student Ratio (TSR) is over 1:30, are Dhaka International University (TSR 1:31), Bangladesh University (TSR 1:40), University of Information Technology and Sciences (TSR 1:86), Royal University of Dhaka (TSR 1:35), Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology (TSR 1:36), Bangladesh Islami University (TSR 1:32), ASA University Bangladesh (TSR 1:133), European University of Bangladesh (TSR 1:36), BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (TSR 1:35), First Capital University of Bangladesh (TSR 1:35), Britannia University (TSR 1:36), North Bengal International University (TSR 1:31), and Fareast International University (TSR 1:45).
“The teacher-student ratio is not up to the mark in these universities. But the average ratio is 1:22 in the private universities being satisfactory level to some extent,” the UGC report said.
The teacher-student ratio was 1:133 at ASA University Bangladesh which is unacceptable, it said.
The UGC report also reveals that the TSR is not ideal at 12 public universities in the country.
The 12 public universities are Rajshahi University (TSR 1:31), Islami University (TSR 1:39), Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (TSR 1:32), Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University (TSR 1:31), Jagannath University (TSR 1:28), Noakhali Science and Technology University (TSR 1:29), Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (TSR 1:39), Cumilla University (TSR 1:33), Begum Rokeya University (TSR 1:54), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (TSR 1:57), Barishal University (TSR 1:38) and Rangamati Science and Technology University (TSR 1:36).
The lowest TSR is at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University (TSR 1:5) while the highest TSR is at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (TSR 1:57), the report said.
UGC Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan said that the teacher-student ratio is the most important matter for higher education. But unfortunately, the ideal ratio is absent in many universities as teachers are not willing to join some universities while there is a crisis of teachers at specialised universities.
A good number of universities (Public and Private) are admitting huge number of students violating the rules of admission, he said
The UGC provided direction to the universities to maintain teachers-students ratio, he said.
