The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque

The public universities continue to attract academic talents as a center of excellence. The teachers guide the learners through "lectures, tutorials, discussion, seminar and demonstration" and supervision of research and extra-curricular activities. They conduct various types of examinations such as tutorial, practical, comprehensive, annual written and viva voce. Besides, they organize courses, "preparing course curricula, mobilizing library resources and "performing such other functions as may be assigned to them by the vice chancellor. Study tour, excursion and picnic, arranged by the departments, serve to reduce distance between the teacher and the student. Academic planning in the context of time concerns the teachers with high-ups taking policy lead.

Academic management in accordance with ordinance and statutes is the exclusive preserve of academicians. Even academic ordinance; relevant regulations and timely amendments thereto, to be finally approved by the syndicate, are discussed first in academic committee, then in faculty meeting, before they are transmitted to the academic council for final recommendation. So the academics as the architects of institution building keep things going smoothly as a professional duty. They also contribute to the creation and expansion of department institute and faculties.

What potentials we have as inputs both in teaching-learning aspects, policy environment around the academic terrain is not propitious for the height of scholastic development the society expects from the university. The state of teaching is certain to come under close scrutiny as it is little away from professional ethics. True, we cannot expect much from the teachers as they are not duly rewarded for their services enjoying much less benefits than they actually deserve. We cannot expect required service from the machine if it is not properly lubricated. Mentionably, varsity teachers of the peripheries do not have much access to opportunities for teaching and consultancy outside the campus permissible under rules as a part of professional development compared to their counterparts in the central capital.

The prospects in the peripheries are bleak and the centrally located universities are better off according to the theory of comparative advantage. There are differences with regard off-campus professional practices among university teachers. Here social choice theory operates in the market value and the increasing demands for teaching services in certain areas of specialization. The teachers from English language|| literature background as well as commerce faculty teachers are in a position to meet the requirements of markets. Apart from a fortunate few, the majority among the public university teachers do not have access to modern urban facilities and valuables.

The salary structure including a limited number of allowance||remuneration permissible under the rules cannot be termed as real incentives compared to their contribution to social reconstruction. The young group of scholars as prodigies find themselves in a strange situation -little or no incentives in scanty salary structure. The seniors may feel disgruntled to see extremely high status of the privileged few rendering services in non-teaching sectors. They are exposed to the misfortune of competitive stress of economic life.

The university teachers try to give the learners much leeway to develop their academic talents and research potentials. So the existing state of economic conditions of the teachers does not have any legitimacy. More there should be an end of discrimination looming large in varsity teaching sector. The worries of the public primary school teachers with a profound sense of deprivation in a highly differentiated basic education system have reached a boiling point. This is because of the crucial issues of salaries and facilities. If such crises are not addressed at the foundation and higher levels there would be no use providing highest budgetary allocation to education sector. The crisis of differentiation that has reached a dizzying depth threatens to tarnish value bound image of public university teaching. Now we do not have much to brag about ethics and morality of the university teachers Full time activism of some self seeking academic actors elsewhere teaching their own students in a cavalier fashion seriously undermine basic values of academic culture. This is due largely to a robust difference between public and private universities with regard to salary structure.

The care taker government (CTG) concerns much about good governance with a continuing endeavor to curb corruption. It would like to see new policy environment in the terrain of academicians. We appreciate any move intended to ensure academic governance. All the same it is high time to address the predicaments of public university teachers. One potent way might be to favourably consider a separate pay scale for the public university. There is a need to work out the details about the structure of separate pay scale with a good deal of caution. Otherwise things will turn in to a zero sum game. Alternatively incentives as a motivation may be considered within the national pay scale. Ensuring full time engagement of the teachers only in the campus requires emoluments full of incentives including remuneration package, allowances and necessary logistics.

The house rent to be fixed at a reasonable rate, should be same for all public universities. Book allowance should be given on monthly basis. Teachers as researchers may claim reimbursements for expenses in research works. In addition institutional arrangement for advancement of house building loans to be paid on easy installments may well be taken into consideration. Remuneration package may also include remuneration for course works (core and non core courses) by the teaching staff. It will improve quality of teaching reinforcing their commitment based on accountability and transparency. A proposal for a reasonable remuneration package may be drafted for open discussion, persuasion and advocacy. Research publications of the academicians require financial and marketing supports. But publications for commercial purpose run counter to the concept of academic ethics. Students should be encouraged to buy those published works that contain research values and recommended reading materials.

Well, we may comprehensively think additional income support through remuneration package and other facilities. Money required to give that support is possible if public university could lesson dependence on government in financial matters that undermines its autonomous status.

The public universities through well conceived action plan can tap their vast reservoir of resources and explore internal sources for generation of funds to extend additional income support to the teachers. In Dhaka University there is an umpteen opportunity for providing teachers with remuneration facilities from the utilization of its strategic resources as capital. The Chittagong University can chalk out a long term plan of action to fully utilize its natural endowments. Wastages and unnecessary investments that may result in sunk costs may exhaust the fund drawn from the internal sources. This should be avoided.

We should not have much reservation about the introduction of second shift in the public universities. It will harness mobilization of internal resources. At times it will benefit the admission seekers who might have qualified in the admission test but could not finally get any chance for entrance as they could not find a position in the merit list. In view of the massive explosion of merits in the HSC examination increasing number of students with astounding academic feat needs to be admitted in .the public universities for the sake of quality education.

With a long list of merits getting A+ the competition for enroll in a limited number of positions has become much tougher. So, double shift can meet the exigencies of the circumstances. Professor Mozaffar Ahmed, Chairman of TIB, suggested introduction of double shifts or evening shifts at the public universities and reputed private universities to meet the present crisis. Yet, the outcomes will be disastrous if double shift is set in motion in an unprecedented haste ignoring the opinions of the stakeholders. We need a rational policy posture in this respect based on meticulous conceptual exercise and broad based consensus.

(The author is Professor, Dept. of Public Administration, University of Chittagong)