Far too many students in classrooms strain teaching at DU

Inadequate classrooms and enrolment beyond capacity are forcing students in several departments of Dhaka University (DU) to attend tightly packed classes, with the problem particularly acute in the Faculty of Arts and long-standing in nature.

Academics generally consider 30 to 40 students per classroom as an effective benchmark for quality teaching. However, nearly half of the university's 84 departments are unable to maintain this level. Analysts say the situation is affecting teaching, teacher–student interaction, and overall learning outcomes.

Classroom shortage at the Arts Building

According to information from the dean's office of the Faculty of Arts at DU, the faculty has a total of 57 classrooms. Of these, 42 rooms are allocated to 17 departments, with most departments assigned two rooms each. The remaining 15 rooms are under the control of the dean's office and are allocated for shared use based on departmental needs.

Mahfuza Akter Chaiti, a student of the Department of Bangla, told The Business Standard that the available space is insufficient for the number of students.

"We have six batches, and two classrooms are not enough. Often, 10 to 15 minutes before a class ends, class representatives rush around to find an empty room. Sometimes we arrive to take a class only to find another department trying to use the same room, and one group has to give it up," she said.

Burhan Uddin, a postgraduate student of the Department of History, said around 110 students attend their classes at the same time.

"Our department has three classrooms, but even one of them cannot accommodate all the students. At times, we have to hold classes in classrooms of other departments," he said.

Tariq Manzoor, a professor of the Department of Bangla, said maintaining the quality of education requires ideal and modern classrooms, which are lacking at DU, particularly in the Arts Building.

Referring to curriculum reforms encouraged by the University Grants Commission (UGC), he said, "Such a curriculum cannot be implemented properly if a classroom has more than 40 to 50 students."

Acknowledging the crisis, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan told The Business Standard, "We have recently rearranged class slots after discussions with several departments. As a result, opportunities for department-wise use of classrooms have increased to some extent."

Student–teacher ratios exceed recommended levels

Education experts say the student–teacher ratio is a key indicator for ensuring quality education. In higher education, many academics consider a maximum of around 40 students per classroom as a workable benchmark, depending on the subject.

However, information gathered from various departments at DU shows a different picture. In at least 15 departments – including Bangla, Arabic, History, Philosophy, Islamic Studies, Sociology, Law, the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Physics, Soil, Water and Environment, and Tourism and Hospitality Management – classes are often held with around 100 students attending at the same time.

A third-year student of the Department of Sociology under the Faculty of Social Sciences, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more than 150 students attend their classes simultaneously.

"As a result, the level of teacher–student interaction that should take place simply does not happen. With so many students, classes often do not follow the regular schedule, mid-term assessments are not held properly, and the publication of results is frequently delayed," the student said.

When contacted, Fatema Rezina Iqbal, chairperson of the department, declined to comment.

Mohammod Moninoor Roshid, a professor at DU's Institute of Education and Research, said classes are being held with more than 100 students despite what many academics consider a workable student–teacher ratio of up to 40 students per teacher.

"Teaching such a large number of students at the same time is not practical for a single teacher," he said. 

"Modern education is not limited to lectures alone; it also emphasises project-based, experiential and problem-solving approaches," he added. 

Outcome-based education faces hurdles

The University Grants Commission (UGC) recommended the introduction of outcome-based education (OBE) several years ago to improve the quality of teaching and learning in both public and private universities.

Following the recommendation, OBE has been introduced in a number of departments at DU, while the process remains underway in others. Under the OBE framework, greater emphasis is placed not only on course content but also on what students are expected to know and be able to do at the end of a course, and how those learning outcomes are assessed.

However, education experts say effective implementation of OBE at Dhaka University remains difficult due to infrastructure constraints and overcrowded classrooms.

In some departments, the student–teacher ratio is far above internationally accepted standards, with more than 100 students attending classes under a single instructor.

Mohammod Moninoor Roshid said the primary objective of any curriculum should be to ensure quality education, regardless of its structure.

"If a class has 70, 80 or more than 100 students, no curriculum can be implemented properly," he said.

He added that in modern higher education, a teacher's role goes beyond delivering lectures. "A research university's core responsibility is the creation of new knowledge. That requires engaging students in various activities, assigning projects and tasks, closely monitoring their progress, and providing regular mentoring and feedback," Rashid said.

"These processes are central to achieving learning outcomes. But with more than 100 students in a single classroom, it is simply not realistic for a teacher to deliver education in this way," he added.

Lack of a clear plan from the administration

Due to student numbers exceeding available infrastructure, the Dhaka University (DU) administration decided to reduce enrolment by around 1,000 seats starting from the 2021–22 academic year. At the time, the university administration also decided to review the number of seats gradually. However, some members of the current administration do not agree with the idea of further reducing student intake.

University officials say steps are underway to expand infrastructure, though most of the facilities are yet to be completed.

According to information from the university's public relations office, Dhaka University is currently implementing infrastructure development projects worth Tk2,841 crore. The five-year projects are scheduled to be completed by 2030 and include the construction of six academic buildings, four residential halls for around 2,600 female students, and five residential halls for about 5,100 male students.

The projects also include housing facilities for house tutors attached to five male halls and four female halls, the university said.

However, university officials say these projects will take time to ease existing pressure on classrooms and teaching capacity.

Acting Dean Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan said such infrastructure and capacity constraints have existed for more than a hundred years, yet the university has continued to produce graduates of good quality.
"Reducing class sizes or student numbers alone does not necessarily ensure quality education," he said.

"What is important is increasing teaching capacity within the existing structure while keeping higher education accessible," he added.

Experts urge a review of capacity

Experts say pressure from excess student numbers is evident across DU, from student housing and library facilities to classrooms and transport services. Over the past two decades, they argue, the situation has worsened as new departments and institutes were opened without a matching expansion of infrastructure.

Professor Mohammod Moninoor Roshid said students are being admitted without a clear policy framework, which he warned could eventually backfire for the country.

"The university needs its own research to assess what kind of workforce the country requires, what the institution's actual capacity is, and how quality education can be delivered within existing resources," he said.