Quality of Higher Education in Bangladesh: Governance Framework and Quality Issues

Abstract

Özet: This study is an effort to find out the policy options of higher education as well as students’ perception on specific quality issues of higher education in Bangladesh. This paper is analytical in nature. To attain the objective of the study, 100 master level (MS) students, of Social Science Faculty, Rajshahi University have been interviewed. Respondents were interviewed using semi-structured pre-formulated questionnaire. Secondary sources, moreover, were reviewed to gather input to make this study reliable and valid. The study revealed that the greatest challenge to achieve the standard level quality in higher education is governance related problem. In this research the term governance covers management, policies and practices. There are some rules, regulations and institutional arrangement. Nevertheless, effective implementation of these policies is very rare due to lack of effective governance and professionalism. Furthermore, recruitment and promotion related decisions are not settled on the basis of qualification. In these cases, personal connection, party politics and inter-personal politics play significant role as determinants. Though there are some research works on quality of higher education in Bangladesh, yet it is very difficult to find out which shaded light on the student’s perception about the quality issue of their education considering them as stakeholder or clients. In this backdrop, this study is an effort to find out the students’ perception on specific issues of quality of higher education and offers the assessment of policy options which are supposed to use for ensuring the quality of higher education in Bangladesh.

Abstract

Özet: This study is an effort to find out the policy options of higher education as well as students’ perception on specific quality issues of higher education in Bangladesh. This paper is analytical in nature. To attain the objective of the study, 100 master level (MS) students, of Social Science Faculty, Rajshahi University have been interviewed. Respondents were interviewed using semi-structured pre-formulated questionnaire. Secondary sources, moreover, were reviewed to gather input to make this study reliable and valid. The study revealed that the greatest challenge to achieve the standard level quality in higher education is governance related problem. In this research the term governance covers management, policies and practices. There are some rules, regulations and institutional arrangement. Nevertheless, effective implementation of these policies is very rare due to lack of effective governance and professionalism. Furthermore, recruitment and promotion related decisions are not settled on the basis of qualification. In these cases, personal connection, party politics and inter-personal politics play significant role as determinants. Though there are some research works on quality of higher education in Bangladesh, yet it is very difficult to find out which shaded light on the student’s perception about the quality issue of their education considering them as stakeholder or clients. In this backdrop, this study is an effort to find out the students’ perception on specific issues of quality of higher education and offers the assessment of policy options which are supposed to use for ensuring the quality of higher education in Bangladesh.

Keywords

• Quality,higher education,governance framework,Rajshahi University,Bangladesh

References

1. Aminuzzaman, S. (2007), “Overview of Quality Assurance in the context of Bangladesh”. Paper presented in a workshop organised by American International University Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2. Aminuzzaman, S M. (1993), “Management Culture of Public. Bureaucracy in Bangladesh”, Social Science Review, Vol. X (1): 83-106
3. Andaleeb, S. S (2003), Revitalizing Higher Education in Bangladesh: Insights from Alumni and Policy Prescriptions, Higher Education Policy, 16 :487–504
4. Bayes, A (2009), “Beneath the Surface: Digital Bangladesh”, The Daily Star, 2009-01-11
5. Bonaccorsi, A and Daraio, C. (2007), “Universities and Strategic Knowledge Creation; Specialization and Performance in Europe”. Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
6. Boyer, E.L. (1990), “Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate”. Princeton : N.J. Carnegie Foundation.
7. Chauhan, C. P. S. (2008), “Higher Education: Current Status and Future Possibilities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka; Analytical Reports in International Education, 2 (1), 29-48
8. Huda, S.S.M , Mujaffar, A. T , Akhtar, A , Ahmed J. U ( 2010) “The State of Private Universities in Bangladesh: An Evaluation of Students Perception”, Information Management and Business Review,1(1),16-27

9. Husain, S. A (2000), “Campus politics: Whys and why nots”, The Daily Star, 26 March, 2010
10. Islam, F (2007), “Some issues of higher education in Bangladesh: Analysis of demand, problems and trends”, The Financial Express, 27 June
11. Jamil, I (2007), “Administrative Culture in Bangladesh”, Dhaka: A H Development Publication in Bangladesh.
12. Khan, M. M ( 2010), “State of Public Universities in Bangladesh”, The Daily Star The Independence Day Special Issue, 26 March
13. Kitamura Y.(2006). “Expansion and Quality in Bangladesh,” International Higher Education, No.44.
14. Monem, M (2007), “Higher Education in Bangladesh: Status, Issues and Prospects” .in Gamage Sujata (2007) ed. Higher Education in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Philippines and Sri Lanka; Srilanka Education Forum
15. Mannan, A (2010). “Higher Education Deficits in Draft”, The Daily Star, 25 February, 2010
16. Masum, M. (2008) “Higher Education in Bangladesh: Problems and Policies”, Journal of the World Universities Forum, Volume 1, (5).
17. Materu P (2007), “Higher Education Quality Assurance in Sub-Saharan Africa Status, Challenges, Opportunities, and Promising Practices”, World Bank Working Paper No . 124, Africa Region Human Development Department
18. McCaffrey, D.F.,Lockwood, J. R., Koretz, D., Louis, T.A. & Hamilton, L. (2004) “Modes of value added modeling of teacher effects”. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 29:1, 67-101.
19. Mohanan K., P (nd), “Assessing Quality of Teaching in Higher Education”, http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/publications/assess/unpack.htm, accessed on, 25.02.2011
20. Monjur M., M (2002), “Quality Assurance in Public Universities of Bangladesh-An Overview” A paper presented in a seminar on “Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Bangladesh” organized by UGC and held in Dhaka in July 2002
21. OECD (2010), Learning Our Lesson: Review of Quality Teaching In Higher Education
22. Panday, P. K and Ishtiaq J. 2009. “Impact of Politicization on the Recruitment of University Teachers in Bangladesh: The Case of the University of Rajshahi.” Paper presented at the NAPSIPAG International Conference on “Human Capital and Good Governance: Transition towards Knowledge Based Development and Well Being.” Kedah, Malaysia: Universiti Utara Malaysia, 11-13 December.
23. Panday, P. K (2009a), “Revitalising Rajshahi University”, the Daily Star, 01/07/2009.
24. Patrick ,W. J. and Stanley E. C (1998), “Teaching and Research Quality Indicators and the Shaping of Higher Education”, Research in Higher Education, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1998
25. Paul, B. P. (2009), Reforming higher education for growth, The Daily Star, November 15, 2009
26. Rahman, M. O. (2010), “Private and public universities: Are they delivering?” The Daily Star, The Independence Day Special Issue, 26 March
27. Rahman, M. M, and Islam, S. (2011), “Higher Education Vying for quantity or quality?” The Daily Star, January 8
28. Rahman Nader ( 2009). Education: Lets Get Digital, The Daily Star, 10 September
29. Rivkin, S.G.,Hanushek, E. A. and Kain, J.F. (2005), Teachers, schools and academic achievement. Econometrica, Econometric Society ,73 (2) : 417-458.
30. Rockoff, J.E. (2004), The impact of Individual Teachers on Student Achievement: evidence from panel data. American Economic Review, 94 (2): 247-252.
31. Roknuzzaman, M. (2006), A survey of Internet access in a large public university in Bangladesh, International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 2(3): 86-105.
32. Siddique K,( 2006). Towards Good Governance in Bangladesh: Fifty Unpleasant Essays, University Press Limited, Dhaka
33. Stella A, (2004), ‘External Quality Assurance in Indian Higher Education: developments of a decade’, Quality in Higher Education, 10(2) :115-127
34. Summer (2006) , The Boston College Center for International Higher Education, 23-24.
35. Šušol, J. (2009), Higher Education and the Academic Library: Perspectives for Slovakia, Educause Review, 44 (4): 66–67
36. Times Higher Education (2010). Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2009,
37. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=438
38. UNESCO (2008), “Reinventing Higher Education: Toward Participatory and Sustainable Development”. Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok.
39. Villanueva C., C. (2007). “Proposed Indicators/Measures of Higher Education Quality Assurance in Bangladesh”, Working Paper 2, International Workshop on the Development of Measurements for Higher Education Quality Assurance in Bangladesh, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 30-31 May