Pvt varsities urged to reduce tuition fees to encourage poor students

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FE Report | Published: February 25, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: February 24, 2014 23:40:24

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Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid called upon the country's all private universities Monday to reduce the tuition fees to ensure more access of poor but meritorious and deprived students to the tertiary level education.
The minister made the call while addressing the 13th convocation ceremony of the East West University (EWU) as a representative of the university's chancellor and president Md Abdul Hamid.
Eminent writer and Ekushey Padak winner Selina Hossain addressed the closing ceremony as the convocation speaker. Among others,   EWU Vice Chancellor Professor Ahmed Shafee, Founding Vice Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr Mohammed Farashuddin also spoke on the occasion.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Mr Nahid said education could be the heavy weapon to change the shabby and worn-out society.
The education minister applauded the private university authorities' role saying that they have been working along with the government to turn the country's population into highly skilled human resources.
He also requested the university authorities to introduce job- oriented subjects and to update their academic curriculum regularly to make the students capable of facing the challenges of the globalisation.  
He, however, warned tougher action against the unscrupulous private universities, that have been doing schooling business.
"We've fixed a timeframe for the private universities who have failed to comply with the basic stipulations including permanent campus and required number of qualified teachers and academic infrastructure", he added.
Congratulating the newly graduated students of the university, the convocation speaker Ms Hossain advised them to be diligent having moral during their professional life for their own sake.
Earlier, the Trusty Board Chairman Dr Mohammed Farashuddin presented the university's brief history to the participants.
The university started its academic journey in 1996 with 20 students, 6 teachers and 4 staffs. Now the university has around 9,000 students and more than 300 teachers and 200 officials.
He noted that through the closing ceremony, a total of 1,341 students were awarded the graduation degree. Of them four students received gold medals in recognition of their outstanding academic results.