Private universities in Bangladesh don't offer scope for creativity, speakers say

Private Universities in Bangladesh have drawn flak from experts at a roundtable conference at the capital for gagging creativity and for stressing exclusively on market-based curricula.

The roundtable conference on the contribution of private universities to the development of Bangladesh, was held on Saturday and was organised by Canadian University Bangladesh.

Speaking at the conference, Dhaka University Sociology Professor Sadeka Halim said that private universities don't have proper campuses, nor an adequately devised entrance examination. They lack diversity and strangle creativity.

She said that whereas students from all strata of society can seek admission to public universities, only students from affluent backgrounds make it to the private ones, thus making for a very homogeneous students' profile.

This kills diversity and limits creativity, she said.

She also found fault with the curriculum of these universities. She said that the syllabus lays stress on market based education, thus eliminating the scope of any creativity.

"You are teaching market-based subjects but where is the scope for creativity?" she asked.

Although Dhaka University History Professor Misbah Kamal praised the students of private universities for taking a stand against VAT in education, he regretted the fact that Bengali is not taught in these universities.

"It is a matter of shame that Bengali is not taught in these universities that exist in this country", he said.

He also observed that subjects like General science, mathematics, chemistry and history were considered redundant for the syllabus of these universities.

Policy Research Institute Economist Dr Ashiqur Rahman said that these universities treat students like "industrial output" without offering them any space for creativity.

Former Universities Grants Commission chairman Prof AK Azad Chowdhury said that private universities in the country need to be given more time.

"Initially I was against private universities, but gradually came to realise their need in these changing times", he said.

He also said that the quantum of security money and land that such institutions have to maintain in order to seek approval is beyond easy reach in a country like Bangladesh.

Former Dhaka University Bengali professor, Rafiqul Islam said that the private universities did make a lot of contributions to the nation's development, but lamented the lack of creativity and wondered why universities that fail to meet the minimum requirements are not shut down.