The recent report of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on private universities was an eye-opener for all the stakeholders, including government departments, university authorities, students, guardians and employers. The report clearly portrayed the current state of higher education in private universities and highlighted some shocking areas. This report will surely motivate all quarters to roll up their sleeves to address these critical issues immediately. It is now an important question as to if the students of a few private universities by their substandard learning will tarnish the image of the entire education system of Bangladesh to the rest of the world. Though the primary objective of the government to approve this stream of education was to create more opportunities of higher education for students of the country, it may be foiled eventually like many other sectors of the country if proper vigilance is not in place right now.
I have been in corporate world for many years and closely working with professionals certified by various institutions. I found a good number of employees, who graduated from private universities of Bangladesh, to be much more capable than the graduates from public universities of the country - and sometimes foreign universities even. I came across some Bangladeshi graduates of private universities who are neck and neck in terms of competency with the graduates and professionals of other Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, China etc. This was possible due to the high professional attitude and firm commitment of the governing bodies of those universities and utmost seriousness of students and guardians. These universities are certainly playing a significant role by producing such talents who are in the mainstream of the economy.
On the other hand, some private universities have taken this venture just to make money pushing "formalin" into the education system. I gathered a bitter experience while interviewing a candidate for the position of 'Finance Officer' at a large conglomerate. According to his resume, he was holding a certificate of MBA (Major in Finance) from a less known private university of the country. Surprisingly, he failed to give answer to my questions though those were very basic for an MBA-qualified candidate. As I got frustrated and impatient with his level of knowledge, I asked him straightforward: "Did you ever attend the classes or did you sit for the exams"? His nervous reply "NO" stunned me. Simply, he got admission in the university and obtained the certificate merely by paying money. The level of knowledge of that candidate gave me the feeling that no employer would recruit him because he won't be able to deliver anything to his employer. So, what was the point for that candidate to "buy" that certificate? According to that candidate, it enhances the possibility to be shortlisted in the selection process and this certificate ensures higher social status. So, the university was there not to give proper education to the students, but just to "sell" certificates. In the long run, such practice will damage the education system and push the country backward.
A few years back, I was invited by an educationist of the country to discuss about one of his investment plans. He was planning to "buy" the full stake of a group of educational organisations to "serve" the country. A good number of schools, colleges, universities, and medical colleges belonged to that group of organisations. According to the primary arrangement agreed between the new and outgoing parties, the existing Trustee members would be given a significant amount of money to retire from the Board. Thereafter, the new Trustee members would assume the office and operate the educational organisations. The amount of consideration was enough to buy a large composite textile mill equipped with all modern equipment. Since I was astonished hearing the size of investments, the potential buyer clarified that a major part of the considerations were agreed considering the current market price of "licence" issued by government authorities.
Some intellectuals hold a strong view that education cannot be an area of commercial business rather the sponsors should have the mindset of serving the nation. When it's a question of investment of millions of dollars and the bank interest rate is 15%+, can this venture be seen from non-commercial perspective? I would rather suggest to view this from a strictly commercial perspective without compromising the quality of output while ensuring compliance with government rules. Students will pay reasonable amount of money in one hand and receive education at the optimum level, on the other. This education can be a sustainable tool for the students to be competitive in professional life and to get fair return of investment as well.
Many aggrieved parties may have grounds to challenge the content of the TIB's report but that will not solve the underlying problem. We should acknowledge that the quality of education in all the private universities is not beyond controversies and they are not complying with all the requirements of the regulatory authorities too. The government should also admit that they are not successfully playing their regulatory role due to the lack of qualified workforce, integrity of the officials etc. There is scope to improve the standard of the private universities and make these corruption-free, competitive and sustainable. Otherwise, the country will suffer an irreparable loss.
Mohammad Zahid Hossain, FCA, is a Management Consultant. mohammad.z.hossain@gmail.com
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