University enrollment: VCs for online admission tests
Vice chancellors of public universities have decided in principle to hold university admission tests online this year due to the coronavirus situation.
Bangladesh Bishwabidyalaya Parishad (Bangladesh University Council), a platform of university VCs, took the decision at a virtual meeting on Saturday. The decision will be finalised after discussions with the education ministry and University Grants Commission (UGC).
UGC will take the next steps based on the decision of this meeting.
It has been decided that admission tests would be taken to enroll students at universities. But whether tests will be taken in person or online will be decided after further discussion with the government and UGC.
National University VC Harun Ur Rashid, who took part at the meeting, told Prothom Alo that the meeting decided that online admission tests would be held in clusters. A software developed by a team led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Digital University (BDU) vice chancellor Munaz Ahmed Noor was presented at the meeting. The VCs appreciated the software.
Initially, the software might be used in taking minor examinations in universities and later it would be used for admission tests, Harun said adding that the relevant persons would be given training on the use of the software.
BDU VC Munaz Ahmed said international standards have been maintained in developing the software.
Earlier on Thursday, the UGC and the vice-chancellors failed to decide on how to conduct admission tests in the government and autonomous universities at a virtual meeting.
Bangladesh Bishwabidyalaya Parishad president and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) VC Mohammad Rafiqul Alam told Prothom Alo that the meeting decided to hold admission tests.
It has been decided that admission tests would be taken to enroll students at universities. But whether tests will be taken in person or online will be decided after further discussion with the government and UGC.
Asked about the date of admission tests, CUET VC said it depends on the publication HSC results. Decision on admission tests’ date would be finalised after another meeting next month.
The government has decided to evaluate HSC candidates on the basis of average results of JSC, SSC and equivalent examinations instead of taking examinations.
There are 46 government and autonomous universities in the country. Of them 39 government universities admit students directly.
Earlier, in February last year, it was decided that admission tests would be conducted in three clusters . Only Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and four autonomous universities (Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University and Chittagong University) will take separate admission tests.