Whither combined admission tests!

Though the government wants combined admission tests for public universities, there appears to be no discernible initiative to hold them by any university so far.

Shahidul Islambdnews24.com
Published : 22 April 2014, 04:46 AM
Updated : 22 April 2014, 04:06 PM

Those seeking admission are thereby forced to take tests separately at the 36 public universities in Bangladesh.

Combined tests mean students seeking entry in various public universities will be given the same set of questions.

Results for the 1.1 million candidates taking their Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations will be published three months after the tests end in June.

The universities will start the admission process in September.

The government last year officially announced that combined entry tests will be held in all universities for the academic year 2014-15.

But the concerned authorities were not sure when this would begin.

“There are some initiatives. We will discuss this with the vice-chancellors again,” said Prof AK Azad Chowdhury, chairman of the University Grant Commission (UGC).

The ‘bigger’ universities were previously against the idea, he said, but they have come to an agreement.

“I’m hopeful about it now,” he said.

The Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said the university authorities were to blame for the delay in starting the combined admission test.

“We had decided to start it from this year during a meeting with all the vice-chancellors last year. The decision stands.”

But the timing for their next meeting could not be confirmed.

“We will discuss it in our council meeting,” said Prof Rafiqul Haque, Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University.
He, however, did not say when the council will meet again.

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) and Jessore University of Science & Technology (JUST) decided to start the combined tests last year but their efforts were foiled in face of protests under the banner of ‘Conscious Sylhetis’.

They claimed the process was ‘discriminatory’.

Public and private medical and dental colleges have been holding one test to admit students since 2011.

Students and their guardians have been demanding the same for public universities.

But former UGC Chairman Nazrul Islam said it might better and possible to have students sit for a single entry test than compel them to take separate admission tests.

But universities follow individual regulations as independent bodies and therefore cannot be forced to take up a process, he said.

The teachers should consider the combined method which Islam said will greatly reduce hassles and cut down costs borne by students seeking admission.

Under the proposed system, candidates will not have to travel to a university to seek admission there.

It will also allow them take part in multiple tests after filling up just one form.

Admission forms are available online and the admit cards too can be obtained from home.

The education minister said the monopoly of coaching centres can also be reduced if combined tests are held within few days after the results.