Students Concerned about the Seats of Public Universities

Public University entrance test

Students are concerned about the seats of public universities. The GPA 5 is increases every year but the seat numbers of public universities are not increased.

Dhaka University has increased 149 seats for the session 2014-2015. As many as 885,070 students have passed the HSC and equivalent exams this year. Of them, 70,602 scored GPA-5, while 261,428 scored GPA-4 or higher. The number of seats at the 34 public universities is just around 50,000, education ministry officials said.

On the other side, 24 public and 54 private medical colleges have around 8,000 spots, while 10 dental colleges have around 1,500 seats, according to Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council.

A total of 39,380 seats are available for the honors admission in the 34 public universities in accordance with the UGC report. 6,270 seats available in Dhaka University, 3,780 in Rajshahi University, 1,000 in Bangladesh Agricultural University, 1,000 in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), 3,619 in Chittagong University, 2,420 in Jahangirnagar University, 1,465 in Islamic University, 6,482 in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, 914 in Khulna University, 150 in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, 642 in Haji Danesh University of Science and Technology, 500 in Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University, 562 in Patuakhali Science and Technology University, 450 in Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University, 600 in Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, 570 in Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, 660 in Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, 527 in University of Engineering and Technology, 413 in Noakhali Science and Technology University, 2,755 in Jagannath University, 640 in Comilla University, 599 in Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, 125 in Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, 312 in Sylhet Agricultural University, 480 in Jessore University of Science and Technology, 55 in Bangladesh University Professionals, 1,200 in Begum Rokeya University, 360 in Pabna University of Science and Technology, 160 in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, 270 in Bangladesh textile University and 400 seats in Khulna University.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said, the existing enrollment system at public universities faulty and suggested a uniform system to better assess students and minimize their hassles. "A one-hour admission test through an MCQ examination cannot truly assess the quality of a student", he told journalists while presenting the results of the HSC and equivalent exams of 2014 at the secretariat.

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Account BenefitUnder the current arrangements, each public university takes admission tests mostly through multiple-choice questions (MCQ) as per its own schedules. Nahid observed that students seeking admission in public universities had to visit different university to take the tests. The students, especially those from poor or middle class background, face hassles and financial burdens.

"The students travelling from far do not have good physical or mental status for such tests. So, it is obvious that even the highest GPA scorers may not get enroll in a public university".

He made the comments at a time when several lakh students are preparing to take admission tests for limited seats in their long-cherished educational institutions.

Nahid said he supported a uniform admission system so that candidates could appear for only one exam instead of different tests at different universities. In the absence of such an arrangement, admission seekers have to buy several admission forms and spend a huge amount on travel, food and accommodation.

To end such hassles, the education ministry in 2010 decided in principle to introduce a "cluster system" suggesting that universities of similar characteristics be brought under an individual cluster with a single admission test.

But the system could not be introduced in the last four years, as many of the public universities did not agree to it since the existing one was directly linked to financial benefit for teachers, said the officials.

For example, science and technology universities might be brought under a cluster and agriculture universities under another. In that case, candidates would sit for admission tests only twice for a place in any of the universities belonging to those two clusters.

It has also become a matter of pride for the university teachers, they observed.
"Public universities are autonomous. They make their own decisions. Though the government bears almost 100 percent expenditures, we have no power on the universities", Nahid said.

Presently, the public and private medical and dental colleges follow a uniform admission system where students sit for one test. Those passing the tests are admitted according to their merit.