Private universities should get rid of their Achilles heel

Universities are an inseparable part of the progress of human civilisation. A modern nation is learned, enlightened and intellectually liberated by universities. 'A university should be a place of learning, of light, and of liberty' as Benjamin Disraeli (1804 -1881), a British Conservative politician, writer and aristocrat who twice served as Prime Minister in Britain, defined very significantly. Similarly, in our universities the generations in the post-independence period of Bangladesh get opportunities to be educated in higher learning, liberal in free thinking and human resources in different disciplines. They become capable of contributing a lot to our beloved motherland, Bangladesh.
Now we see two types of universities functioning in our country: public universities run by the state funds, and private universities initiated and run by private entrepreneurs. It is true that once public universities have built their myths for imparting world-class education, though owing to several severe factors (fanaticism, factionalism, student politics, teacher politics, campus politics, etc) such standard of education is not taking place there except for a few cases. Conversely, some private universities are accused of selling academic certificates, where learning is not taking place, and some are not following the regulations prescribed by the UGC and the Ministry of Education in terms of location, constructing infrastructures, permanent campuses and so on. Apart from the errant universities with these irregularities or their Achilles heel, other universities have occupied an outstanding position building their distinguished identity in the field of higher education and research in the period of post-independence.  These irregularities of some private universities, therefore, should be eradicated for the greater cause of the nation.  And now private universities should come forward to prove that they are not inferior to the public ones, and their existence becomes a sanguine reality with considerably successful narratives in many more aspects.
Historically, private universities had to emerge to meet the socio-economic demands which grew in the context of post- independence. That time liberated people, who had been under Pakistani suppression and oppression for several decades, felt enthusiastic and aspired to educate their children. But the newly emerged free nation got only four public universities and for the then government owing to fund crisis it was not possible to establish and run an adequate number of universities with necessary enrolment capacities. By mid-1980s, the number gradually rose to seven, but in the subsequent decades it increased a lot though the increased number is not adequate. In the country populated with 17 crore people, now there are 34 government funded autonomous universities and 78 belonging to the private sector. Out of the private universities, two are operated under the Stay Order from the High Court, and some are divided into two factions or more. Whatever the mode of operation of private universities be- the idea of establishing a private university in Bangladesh becomes reality in consequence of a rising number of students  (for the HSC exam passing rate) seeking higher education which  only public universities cannot offer  for their limited capacities. Though at the initial stage the students chose private universities in case of their failure to be admitted to public universities, at the present time the scenario has changed proving the escalating significance and standard of private universities.
As a matter of fact, to meet the need of the nation some visionary patriotic academic and business leaders at that time stepped forward with a view to establishing private universities with qualified and dedicated academics by generating resources from their own funds. Undoubtedly, then they took a considerable amount of risks in establishing private universities. During this critical moment, few people could believe that the private sector would be able to provide quality higher education. But now it is widely established that private universities are able to impart quality education  to their learners, and carry out research in their short span of journey- not more than two decades only.
According to recent statistics, over 520,000 students study in private universities and over 9,600 teachers both full time and part time are employed there; the student- teacher   ratio is nearly 14:1. Not only do our private universities contribute to the field of higher education, but to our national wealth as well. "Our private universities are saving 100 thousand crore taka in terms of foreign exchange which is nearly 60 percent of our annual budget. 100 percent 'O' and 'A' level students do not go abroad; 63 percent stay in the country and 40 percent get enrolled in private universities", The Daily Star of June 6, 2013 observed.  Very considerably, private universities have stopped the outflow of valuable foreign currency. Further, private universities still prefer quality to political affiliation contributing to maintaining quality which deserves appreciation. The leading private universities recruit teachers having degrees from western universities to retain the quality.
It is very natural that in their smooth operation, private universities should abide by Private University Act 2010 which was first passed in 1992 and in 2010 it was amended and re-drafted. One of the major responsibilities of the University Grants Commission is " Monitoring and supervising private universities for ensuring better teaching and learning environment, governance and student welfare" (UGC Special Bulletin Vol 13, No. 1& 2 July 2011- June 2013). Recently, the UGC Chairman has said in a seminar at ULAB, "Some private universities are involved in the certificate trade", and he urged the relevant universities to sell ideas instead of certificates. The speech connotes that private universities ought to be the place of excellent learning, teaching and research. So, the universities having weaknesses in terms of "teaching and learning environment, governance and student welfare" should take measures as per the directives of the UGC and the Ministry of Education to get rid of their Achilles heel. The UGC and the Ministry should encourage private universities and cooperate with them in overcoming their existing challenges. Simultaneously, the authorities of these universities will have to be serious about their role and operation by abiding by the instructions of the UGC and the Education Ministry.
Still eighty-five percent students of Bangladesh do not receive university education. So, we should try to open the doors of higher education for more and more students without compromising the quality. When we would be able to ensure real quality education, it can be a good source of income for us as students from neighbouring countries will come to receive higher education here.  Keeping it in mind, the concerned authorities should ensure private university friendly environment while private universities should be fully aware of their students' welfare and act accordingly.    
What should private universities do further? They should not earn an enormous amount of money, rather they sincerely want to impart education and do some services for the country by improving the educational standard in these universities. Their teachers could be sent overseas with scholarship to receive the proper training and higher education. The problem of having qualified teachers can also be met through mutual cooperation between the Government and the private sector.
A recent research  has revealed that private universities are more enterprising and result-oriented with flexible academic curriculum, producing graduates with greater scope for survival and sustainability, even though public universities are normally seen to be their first choice.  While private universities do not receive any form of subsidies from the government, their success lies in being more technology and communication skill oriented.
Like public universities, private universities aim at providing higher education. Private universities impart knowledge to students that is relevant to the present economy and society at both graduate and post graduate levels.  The UGC and the Ministry of Education should, therefore, appreciate and foster private universities for the sake of our national interest in higher education. And the authorities of these universities will have to follow the rules and regulations directed by the statutory body, UGC, and the Education Ministry. In the postcolonial phase of Bangladesh both public and private universities ought to produce learned, enlightened, liberal and skilled human resources that can serve the nation, being inspired by patriotic zeal and the spirit of our  national pride- the 1971 liberation war.
 Nota Bene: Achilles' heel/ Achilles heel is a metaphor, it signifies 'a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, which can actually or potentially lead to downfall'.  'In Greek mythology, when Achilles was a baby, it was foretold that he would die young. To prevent his death, his mother Thetis took Achilles to the River Styx, which was supposed to offer powers of invulnerability, and dipped his body into the water. But as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river. Achilles grew up to be a man of war who survived many great battles. But one day, a poisonous arrow shot at him was lodged in his heel, killing him shortly after' (wikipedia). Though  Achilles,  a Greek hero of the Trojan War and the central character and greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad,  could not survive for his vulnerability in his heel, our private universities will have to survive overcoming their weaknesses for the greater cause of the nation.

The write is Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Northern University Bangladesh.     He is a PhD fellow, email: [email protected]