Nurul Islam Nahid,
Education Minister :
“We live in an era of globalization. We are also global citizen now. We have to compete with the global people. Only quality higher education can help us to dominate the world. A large portion of students of the country are studying in private universities. So, the varsity authorities must shun the mentality of making “business and benefits and ensure international standard education.” These were the words, said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid.
In an interview with The New Nation, the Education Minister said:
As many as 56 universities had been set up when the AL-led government assumed office in 2009. None of the varsities were set up following the rules. Besides formulating a policy, the incumbent government enacted a law named Private University Act-2010. So far 95 universities have been set up by this time.
The quality of education will not achieve the target overnight rather it will take some time. It is also a big challenge for the government to attain the standard education, the minister said.
The universities should play vital role in creating skilled manpower through providing information technology based international standard education to its students, the minister added.
The number of private universities has increased over the years. “But quality education has not been ensured at desired level. A well-functioning quality assurance system will make significant contribution to ensuring quality education and push higher education in the country forward to greater heights with peoples’ confidence at national and international level.”
The private universities should keep the expenses of students within a limit shunning the mentality of making “business and benefits” he said.
Nurul Islam Nahid said, the government has already taken actions against those private universities which started activities with a view to making profits. Actions will be taken as per Private University Act 2010, if any university wants to make business and resort to cheating, he added.
Nahid made his stand clear that the private universities must be shifted to their own campuses for the sake of maintaining discipline. “The government won’t tolerate any violation of this order.”
Highlighting the need for intensive research activities, Education Minister said, the government has been working to ensure a world standard education system to create eligible leadership which will consequently push the country towards prosperity.
Terming the private universities as the potential area of higher education, the minister said many private universities are sincerely trying hard to ensure standard education.
The education minister said both public and private universities will be brought under the same law. “The government has taken an initiative to formulate the Accreditation Council Act for ensuring quality education for the new generation. There will be a healthy competition among the higher educational institutions once the law is implemented,” he said.
He also sought cooperation from the country’s educationists in finalising the draft of the proposed law.
The council will introduce grading system of both public and private universities based on standard of education, he added.
Commenting on the present situation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Nurul Islam Nahid said, the existing UGC Law is very old. The ministry has taken initiative to amend the law.
“We have taken opinion from all quarters. The draft law has been made and will be placed to the Cabinet soon,” the minister said.
“The UGC Law was enacted in 1973 when only six universities were operating. Now there are 38 public universities and 96 private universities in the country. The Law was amended many times but these were not sufficient. It is high time to amend the Law to turn it into a modern one,” he said.
Nahid said that the new law could help the UGC to exercise its appropriate power to run the universities smoothly.
