Education minister for removing 'insignificant courses' from colleges

Education minister Dipu Moni said it has become necessary to stop teaching insignificant courses at all the colleges run under national university. Giving certificate randomly without maintaining quality is increasing unemployment problem, she added.

“All the colleges will have degree, short course, language courses and some professional courses instead of some insignificant regular courses. The Accreditation Council will help colleges in bringing some variation in courses and curriculum as per the demand of industry and other stakeholders. All these courses also have to go through a quality control process,” she said.

The minister was addressing as the chief guest at a workshop on ‘Accreditation Standards and Criteria’ under the auspices of Bangladesh Accreditation Council (BAC) held on Wednesday, reports news agency BSS.

The high officials of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of education ministry and members and officials of the University Grants Commission took part in the workshop, said a press release.

The minister said although 70 per cent of the students are coming from National University affiliated colleges, there is a huge difference in quality between teachers and students of universities and colleges. “As a result, a large number of the students become unemployed. Many of them have just certificates, but no skill.”

She said equal importance should be given to the colleges in building their quality of education along with the universities.

There should be a separate branch of the Accreditation Council to look after the colleges under the National University through which the accreditation process of the universities and colleges could be conducted simultaneously, she further said.

While speaking as special guest deputy minister for education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said the colleges that do not have accreditation process will be converted into community colleges and will be allowed to run only vocational courses instead of honors courses.

Mohibul said accreditation should be given to the universities and affiliated college after holding the assessment separately. It needs to ensure that no one can offer a course illegally without accreditation, he added.

BAC member professor SM Kabir presented the draft on ‘‘Accreditation standards and criteria’’ in the technical session of the workshop, moderated by BAC secretary professor AQM Shafiul Azam.

BAC members Istiaque Ahmad, professor Md. Golam Shahi Alam and professor Sanjoy Kumar Adhikary attended the workshop as resource persons, with BAC chairman Mesbahuddin Ahmed in the chair.