Little allocation for education and reseach
Belal Hossain | Saturday, 31 May 2008
The Dhaka University (DU) has prepared a budget of Tk 1.52 billion (152 crore) for the fiscal 2008-09 allocating a small sum of Tk 150 million for education and research due to which educationists say the quality of research, in particular, might head downward.
The lion's share of the total budget will be spent for salary, pension and allowances of teachers, officials and employees of the university. A total of Tk 1.21 billion has been earmarked in this area. Only 9.8 per cent of the total budget is reserved for education and research.
Tk 130.5 million has been allocated for supply and service, 20.3 million for repair, preservation and rehabilitation and Tk 2.0 million for resource collection and purchase. The budget was announced in the two-day annual senate session beginning on May 25.
Country's educationists feel the allocation for education and research for the universities should be increased, as research and innovation of new things for the society are the key tasks of the universities.
DU Microbiology Department teacher Md Anwar Hossain said the aforesaid amount for education and research for a higher educational institute like DU is really ridiculous.
The amount should be doubled at least to boost research activities at the university, as the prime duty of university teachers is to carry out research more and more to discover something fresh for the welfare of the society, he added.
Terming the allocation for education and research very poor, former DU Teachers' Association (DUTA) President AAMS Arefin Siddique said they have repeatedly asked the authorities to take initiatives to increase the amount, but it has gone unheeded.
The development research of the university will be declining day by day, if the funds for education and research are not enhanced in the years ahead, Siddique also a teacher of Journalism Department of the DU, predicted.
When contacted, DU Treasurer Syed Abul Kalam Azad told the FE, increasing the allocation for education and research is not being possible due to scarcity of budget, as 90 per cent of the total budget is spent under salary, pension, allowances and other heads.
The lion's share of the total budget will be spent for salary, pension and allowances of teachers, officials and employees of the university. A total of Tk 1.21 billion has been earmarked in this area. Only 9.8 per cent of the total budget is reserved for education and research.
Tk 130.5 million has been allocated for supply and service, 20.3 million for repair, preservation and rehabilitation and Tk 2.0 million for resource collection and purchase. The budget was announced in the two-day annual senate session beginning on May 25.
Country's educationists feel the allocation for education and research for the universities should be increased, as research and innovation of new things for the society are the key tasks of the universities.
DU Microbiology Department teacher Md Anwar Hossain said the aforesaid amount for education and research for a higher educational institute like DU is really ridiculous.
The amount should be doubled at least to boost research activities at the university, as the prime duty of university teachers is to carry out research more and more to discover something fresh for the welfare of the society, he added.
Terming the allocation for education and research very poor, former DU Teachers' Association (DUTA) President AAMS Arefin Siddique said they have repeatedly asked the authorities to take initiatives to increase the amount, but it has gone unheeded.
The development research of the university will be declining day by day, if the funds for education and research are not enhanced in the years ahead, Siddique also a teacher of Journalism Department of the DU, predicted.
When contacted, DU Treasurer Syed Abul Kalam Azad told the FE, increasing the allocation for education and research is not being possible due to scarcity of budget, as 90 per cent of the total budget is spent under salary, pension, allowances and other heads.