Any well-meaning initiative that benefits the people is expected to be gradually strengthened by building upon successes, learning from failures and continuously adapting on the basis of experience and feedback. However, when some of the stakeholders try to dismantle the entire system raising some unwarranted issues or driven by narrow self-interest, one cannot help but become deeply concerned.
This is particularly evident in the cluster-based university admission test system, introduced in 2020 to reduce students' financial burden and spare them the hassle of travelling across various parts of the country by simplifying the admission process. Most of the public universities were brought under the cluster system, categorised into three groups: general, technology, and agriculture after much prodding by the Education Ministry and UGC during the previous government. Even though five major universities - BUET, Dhaka University, Rajshahi University, Jahangirnagar University, and Chittagong University - remained outside the cluster system, citing the autonomy granted to them under the 1973 Public University Ordinance Act.
However, amidst the changed political circumstances and ongoing volatile situation where the interim government as well the Education Ministry is grappling with a plethora of problems, some of the major universities are trying to leave the cluster system. Several universities including Jagannath University (JnU) and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Khulna University of Science and Technology have announced their plans to conduct independent admission tests, even though the Education Ministry directed vice-chancellors (VCs) of the public universities to continue with the cluster system.
JnU has already initiated the process of conducting its independent admission test for the 2024-25 academic year, with the exams scheduled to begin on January 31st. A recent statement from the university's teachers' association confirmed that the admission process would proceed as planned. If some of the major universities manage to withdraw from the cluster system, defying the Education Ministry's directive, it threatens to undermine the entire system.
The reasons that are being cited for leaving the system include lack of coordination and delays in result publication, student admission, department allocation, and student migration between disciplines which leaves a good number of seats vacant. All these appear to be the teething problems of a new system and the authorities should have addressed these challenges with better coordination and necessary adjustment in rules. Why is this rash and unilateral decision to leave the system?
Many think there are ulterior motives, such as financial gains for teachers, behind the universities' decision to opt out of the system. For instance, according to a report, this year JnU generated approximately Tk 20 million from the sale of 193,634 initial application forms, with each initial form priced at Tk 100. The final application fee is Tk 700 per student. With 40,000 students expected to participate in the examination for each unit, it is easily understandable the financial gains for teachers in conducting independent admission tests.
Here it needs to be mentioned that 40 per cent of the money generated from conducting admission tests is to be deposited in the university fund. However, allegations are rife that teachers who conduct the admission tests often share the entire amount of money among themselves.
In the aftermath of the July-August uprising, when the government is prioritising reforms to develop systems in various sectors, it is unfortunate that some of the public universities are attempting to undermine a sound undergraduate admission system. The government has already drastically lowered the application fees for various government jobs, including BCS. It is time to address the high application fees for public university admission tests and strengthen the cluster system by integrating the remaining universities into it, rather than
abandoning it.
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