Politicisation pushes universities on the verge of collapse: Anu

Jahangirnagar University economics professor Anu Muhummad on Saturday said that education system at the universities was on the verge of collapse because of extraordinary politicisation.
Anu, also the member secretary of National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral resources, Power and Ports, said that teachers at the university were now more interested in proving their political allegiance more than research pushing educational environment in the country to a great danger. 
He also underscored the need for a unanimous regulation based on education and research for the universities to ensure democratic environment in the campus. 
He came up with these views at a press conference at Dhaka University Club organised under the banner of University Teachers’ Network.
The newly launched teachers’ platform also placed recommendation of a recently held teachers’ convention at Jahangirnagar University titled What Kind of University We Want: Higher Education, Policy and Structure.
Anu Muhummad said that the state always try to establish control over universities so that dissident voices are suppressed and all the powers are bestowed upon vice-chancellors and government’s student organisation.
DU sociology department teacher Samina Lutfa placed the eight-point findings of crisis of the universities including government’s authoritarianism, neo-liberal policies, University Grants Commission’s strategic paper, exploitation of autonomy, less funding in education and research, non-autonomous universities, recruitment and admission, students’ accommodation and student politics and private universities.
Professor Fahmidul Haque of mass communication and journalism department placed the six-point solution to these crises including increasing allocation in education and research, stopping commercialisation of education, decentralisation of power among university authorities, more surveillance on private universities, stoppage of teacher recruitment on political allegiance and bring changes in admission system.
From the press conference University Teachers’ Network also announced to place their alternative proposal to protect country’s universities in next six months.
Dhaka University mass communication and journalism department professor Geeti Ara Nasrin, international relation department teacher Tanzimuddin Khan, economics department teacher Rushad Faridi, development studies department teacher Kazi Maruful Islam and Jahangirnagar University’s anthropology department teacher Sayeed Ferdous also attended the press conference, among others.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net