THE government has approved three more new private universities despite allegations of irregularities against many existing private universities and questions about standard of education at those universities.The new approvals took to 95 the number of private universities in Bangladesh while 40 per cent of the seats at the existing private universities remained vacant in the past five years, as per a report of a local daily.Seats remain vacant at the private universities, which do not offer quality education and lack the required infrastructure, said educationists. Of the new universities, Rabindra Srijanshil University will be set up at Keraniganj, Rupayan — AKM Shamsujjoha University will be founded at Narayanganj and University of Global Village will be established in Barisal, Education Ministry official said. Education Ministry officials said that approval was given by the Prime Minister’s Office last week.The country does not need more private universities, which aim to replenish the coffers of their patrons by charging high fees for low quality education, in general, but rather more high quality public universities which can be affordable to students from all strata of society. Quality rather than quantity must be maintained for the nation to progress in the future. When quality students fail to graduate then the future remains bleak –passing out of college by studying pass guides does not make for an educated populace.There are over 95 private universities — yet the vast majority of them fail to provide any quality education — rather they exist as degree mills — if you enter and do the classes, you are ensured of a degree. Tales abound of teachers forced to give pass grades for the income of the university. So the university authorities cannot blame the teachers for their non-suitability. Universities must not be encouraged to teach students how to be corrupt and cheaters. Parents spend huge amounts of their hard earned money to send their children to such schools — but if the return is meaningless or low then why should they? It represents a massive failure in the governance of such institutions, which should represent edifices of knowledge but instead represent hotbeds of corruption — where it is possible to get a degree at a nominal price.Like politics, we should not make private universities places of business. If University Grants Commission cares many of the existing private universities would have been out of business. Many private universities have not enough qualified teachers yet they attract students for selling certificates. We cannot destroy the future of the young generation. Useless degree holders are a burden for themselves, not only useless for the country.
