Scourge of session jam continues

FE Team | Published: February 17, 2024 21:05:05

In our government-run universities (both public universities and colleges under national university), the issue of session jam is widespread. Timely announcements of results and regular examinations are crucial, and the university authorities and the teachers are duty-bound to do that. But students often have to persuade teachers or protest to hold the exams and publish the results timely.
Most students at public universities come from poor or middle-class families, filled with hope that they would shoulder the responsibility of their families after completing their university education. However, when these students are forced to wait for exams and results for years, they are left with no choice but to sink into a vortex of despair.
Having studied at a reputable public university, I have experienced firsthand the horrors of session jam. I have also observed student agitation and hunger strikes to address the issue; such things only happen in Bangladesh.
I know a student whose life has been profoundly impacted by session jam. I have never seen him smile. The effects of both the COVID-19 pandemic and session jam have robbed him of precious years of his life. By the end of his education, he had no time to prepare for a job. Today, thanks to the dedicated efforts of some student-friendly teachers at the university, many departments are free from session jam. They have demonstrated that the goodwill of teachers can rescue students' academic lives from the clutches of session jam.
I urge the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission to prioritise the welfare of students. Action must be taken to free them from the curse of session congestion.
Mohammad Sohel Rana,
Student, BBA
Chattogram University