Prolonged academic life irks DU students

Students of at least sixteen departments of Dhaka University cannot complete their courses in time as the departments are trapped in prolonged academic life amid poor supervision and monitoring of the authorities, delay in the publication of examination results and other factors.
Students alleged that teachers were more interested in teaching students of evening courses and private universities and working for non-governmental organisations, but not in working for ending their prolonged academic life.
The university administration headed by vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, however, claims very often that the university is free of prolonged academic life, widely known as session jam in the country.
‘Yes some departments of science and fine arts faculties are lagging behind the schedule but others are even completing four-year graduate course in three years and a half,’ he said.
‘Ninety five per cent of the existing departments are free from session jam and we should not talk about one or two exception,’ he said adding that he would take necessary steps to reduce prolonged academic life at those departments.
He said that the academic life of students was reduced as the teachers, officials and students helped the authorities to accomplish the job.
Students of law, mathematics, geography and environment, television, film and photography studies, psychology, criminology, chemistry, physics, statistics, geology, theatre and performance studies, soil water and environment studies, sociology, history of arts, Institute of Education and Research and Institute of Nutrition and Food Science are trapped in session jam of three months to one year.
Law students of 2012-13 sessions were supposed to complete their master’s by December 2017 while they began their postgraduate course in August 2017. The situation of students of other sessions is also similar, said students and teachers.
‘It is really frustrating that many of our friends of other departments are joining jobs while we are still taking classes,’ said a law student. 
Students blamed delay in publication of results for their pro-longed academic life. 
They expressed fear that the situation might worsen as the department was trying to introduce evening courses.
Law department chairman Borhan Uddin Khan said that honours final exams of 2012-13 session was rescheduled for several occasions as demanded by the students.
Geography and environment students of 2011-12 sessions were supposed to complete their master’s by December 2016 but began their postgraduate courses in November 2016 due to a delay for six months in the publication of honours results. ‘We are lagging behind the schedule by more than one year,’ said a student.
According to the university rules, results have to be published inside 58 days of the completion of exams.
Geography and environment chairman Hafiza Khatun said that the academic life was prolonged due to practical exams after theoretical exams which led caused delay in result publication.
Food and Nutrition institute and chemistry department students need more than six years to complete their five-year honours and master’s courses.
Chemistry department chairman Nilufar Nahar said that the delay was caused mainly by reassessment of scripts and publication of results was delayed when result sheets from the respective teacher did not reach the office in time.
Geology students’ academic life is prolonged by six months.
Geology department chairman Kazi Matin Uddin Ahmed said that lengthy admission process and field works caused session jam.
Students, particularly those who take readmission after failing to move on to the next year, are losing invaluable time from their lives and in many occasion they cannot apply for jobs as their results are not published in time.
Dhaka University unit Chhatra Union president Tuhin Kanti Das and Chhatra Federation president Umme Habiba Benojir said that session jam was still a matter of headache in absence of monitoring and supervision of highest authorities.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net