Students suffer as public unis delay admission process

• Most public universities yet to complete admission process
• Students already lost 18 months from their academic life
• Teachers say admission process likely to be completed mid-Dec
• Classes likely to begin in January next year 

Jashore's Sharmeen Akhter waited nine months to get admitted to Dhaka University-affiliated Home Economics College after qualifying at the uniform admission test for the 2021-22 academic session on 23 September. As it happens, the college is yet to complete its admission process, prompting her to opt for a private university and not waste any more time.

As most public universities are yet to complete their admission process, thousands of students have thus lost almost 10 months since the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results, which were published following an 8-month delay in February due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With 18 months lost from their academic life, students who are still waiting to get admitted to public universities are increasingly succumbing to frustration.

Hasanul Haque, an admission seeker, told TBS that he has passed the admission test and is now on the waiting list at Khulna University.

"I am becoming more and more depressed as the wait lingers. I honestly do not know where I should take admission," he said.

Professor Dr Biswajit Chanda, member of the University Grants Commission (UGC), told TBS that the UGC had requested the universities to finish admissions for the 2021-22 academic session within two to three months after the announcement of the HSC results.

"It is really unfortunate that nine months have gone by and the universities have not yet completed the admission process," he said.

Sources at the uniform admission committee said it had taken admission tests for 31 universities, including 22 general, 6 science and technology and 3 agricultural universities on 13 August this year. A total of 1.5 lakh students passed the examinations and only 40 thousand students will get the chance to enrol into all the universities under the uniform admission system.

Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, joint convener of the uniform admission committee and Vice Chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, told TBS that the admission process can be completed by the second week of December and classes will begin from January.

"Holding a uniform admission test and completing all the admission procedures are very complex tasks. We are trying to find an easy way to reduce the gap between the date of results announcement and completion of the admission process," he said.

Professor Dr Siddiqur Rahman, former director of the Institute of Education and Research at the University of Dhaka, told TBS that the Education Ministry must take the initiative to ensure the admission of the HSC-passed students within two months of the publication of results.

Tk500 application fee for each university

The uniform admission committee received Tk1,500 per student as admission test fee. The committee decided that an admission aspirant has to pay Tk500 to apply at each university, which means a student will have to pay Tk11,000 for applying to 22 general universities.

As a good number of public university students come from poor families, they cannot afford such expenditure for admission.

A 2019 World Bank survey, "Bangladesh Tertiary Education Sector Review Skills and Innovation for Growth", showed that 35% of students at public universities come from very poor families.

Many opt for private universities

Mohin Mehjabin took admission at the Computer Science and Engineering Department of United International University in March and has already completed one semester.

"My family assumed that the admission process for the public universities would be delayed and decided to admit me to a private university. Now I can see they saved my 10 months," Mehjabin said.

Many families like Mehjabin's, who are able to afford it, have decided to admit their sons or daughters to private universities rather than waste time for their admission to public universities.

National University stands out

The authorities of National University last year decided to enrol new students just after the HSC results were announced. In line with its plan, it completed the admission process by June of the current year and began classes from July.

University sources said it had admitted over 4 lakh students for honours courses in the 2021-22 session.

Professor Dr Md Mashiur Rahman, Vice Chancellor of National University, told TBS that it is possible to complete the admission process within two months of the announcement of results.

"We have no right to waste the students' valuable time. The uniform admission test committee should take the initiative to complete the admission process in a short time from the next academic year," he added.