HSC English First Paper | Unit: 6, Lesson: 2 | Path to Higher Education | Access to Higher Education in Bangladesh

1. Warm up activity:

□ Discuss what you know about the opportunities of higher education in Bangladesh.

□ Why do you think higher education is important. Discuss in a group.

2. Read the following text and answer the questions that follow:

Tertiary education in Bangladesh comprises two categories of institutions: degree awarding universities and colleges affiliated with the National University (NU). There were only 4 universities in Bangladesh at the time of independence in 1971. All of those universities were publicly financed autonomous entities. At present, there are 35 such universities. Private universities are a relatively new phenomenon in this country. In the early 1990s, the private sector came forward to establish universities. Since then the country has experienced a spectacular growth in private universities-mostly in and around Dhaka and couple of other large cities. At present, there are 79 private universities. The number of colleges providing tertiary level education is around 1,400. Most of them offer BA (pass) education of three year duration; only one-third of them offer B.A. (Honors) courses and some offer MA degrees as well. All of these colleges are affiliated with the National University.

Accessibility to higher education

Accessibility to higher education implies that students get the opportunity to get university education and sufficient support from educational institutions. Increasing enrolment at the secondary and higher secondary level puts pressure on higher educational institutions. But due to limited capacity, only a small number of students may be enrolled in universities. Thus, each year a large number of students are denied access to higher education. Also, due to poverty and increase in educational expenses, students of the lower middle class do not get easy access to higher education. Moreover, those who get places in the universities have limited access to avail all kinds of diversified educational facilities relating to their study fields.

Only about 12 percent of graduates enter highs educational institutions. More than SO pei wait of (bese students arc admitted to NU affiliated colleges. Others arc absorbed by tin public and private umvsaitiea. In the last two decades, there has been a substantial rise in the number of students b private univeraitia. According to the UGC Annual Report 2010, the number rose from 8S.669 in 2003 to 2,00,752 in 2010.

Public universities in Bangladesh

Public Universities arc the first choices of most students. The public universities offer a wide range of subjects in Science, Commerce, Libaal Arti, Humanities, Engineering and Technology, low, Education and Medicine. Public universities attract the beet mind* to teaching although monetary compensation fix teacher* H anything but attractive. Library, laboratory, Internet and research facilities are much bettor there than anywhere else In the country. Seminar*, symposiums, lectures, workshops, debates, mni nahitaiinnH are often held in these iTmtitiitimn wnH there is Hmplp agape far national and international exposure for jzumi&mg young knowledge seekers. Moreover, public univerwtie* offer residential and boarding facilities at low cort/rubridized rates.

Annual total intake and total number of students in selected public universities:

Name of the university	Annual Total Intake	Total students	Male students	Female students
University of Dhaka	5219	28772	19119	9653
University of Chittagong	3773	19301	14192	5109
University of Rajshahi	4305	26909	19133	7776
Khulna University	642	4423	3440	983
Comilla University	350	591	417	174
Jahangirnagar University	1361	10417	7082	3335
Islamic University	1210	10109	7913	2196
Bangladesh Agriculture University	757	4621	3211	1410
Jagannath University	2415	25896	21774	4122
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology	885	7218	5865	1353
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology	1160	7930	6156	1774
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University	Na	1116	695	421

Source: Journal of Management and Science, Vol.111. No 2. June 2013.

ISSN 2250-1819 / EISSN 2249-1260

3. Find the meanings of the following words. Also indicate the part of speech of each word, change them into as many parts of speech as is possible and make sentences of your own with each changed form:

i. comprise

ii. phenomenon

iii. spectacular

iv. tertiary

v. affiliated

vi. support

vii. enrolled

viii. compensation

ix. symposium

x. subsidize

4. Make sentences of your own with the following phrases:

i. at present

ii. due to

iii. access to

iv. in and around

5. How many public and private universities are there in Bangladesh?

6. What percentage of students gets opportunities for admission into tertiary education?

7. Write a paragraph on "Accessibility to higher education in Bangladesh" using the information about enrollment statistics in the public universities of Bangladesh.

If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
Lesson 3: 21 st Century Higher Education