Md Shah Alam :
Bangladesh’s public universities are funded by taxpayer money. Teaching is a prestigious profession that should be based solely on merit and research. But have our universities truly managed to establish a system that values merit and remains free from political influence in recruitment and promotion? Have we succeeded in meeting the public’s expectations by rising above politics? In today’s article, I aim to analyze these issues through the lens of my real-life experiences, highlighting aspects that are often overlooked in our important writings.
Prioritizing Merit in Teacher Recruitment: University teacher recruitment considers various factors, with academic performance traditionally being highly valued. In the past, departments preferred and often succeeded in hiring the most meritorious candidates.
This era valued the cultivation and recognition of merit, and teachers enjoyed a distinct societal respect. People held teachers in high esteem.
However, today’s scenario paints a different picture. Teachers are no longer greeted with the respect they once commanded. The blame largely falls on unethical and unruly teachers, followed by the state and politics.
Is academic performance the only criterion for recruitment? A candidate with excellent results might still be unfit for the classroom if they cannot communicate effectively or engage all students.
Yet, such individuals often secure teaching positions due to political connections or strong relationships with influential faculty members. There’s no clear policy to assess a candidate’s suitability for classroom teaching.
As Dr. Shamsad Mortuza, a professor in the English Department at Dhaka University, noted in his article, “When I got into teaching, our Dean assured me that my first-class results needed no political backing. The recruitment process was transparent and competitive. But today’s reality is somewhat different.” I would say the reality is almost entirely different.
Recruitment Based on Political Considerations: In recent years, the trend of appointing university teachers based on political considerations has continued unchecked. The authorities at the universities are not adhering to any rules or regulations, severely affecting our meritorious students. Despite ranking first or second, these students are not being recruited.
Instead, those with political connections and no merit are getting the positions. One noticeable issue is that once recruited, these individuals change their behavior, showing allegiance only to those who hired them, often disregarding other faculty members. They are so blinded by politics that they avoid speaking of any ethics or principles.
Illegitimate Promotions to Professorship:-
Without following any rules, some get appointed as lecturers and then, without producing substantial research, quickly rise to the rank of professor. For them, it’s a dream come true, while others suffer mental anguish due to political biases and the whims of influential faculty members. Favoritism leads to years of stagnation for deserving teachers, even promoting their students over them. Recently, there have been reports of teacher recruitment in exchange for money. Regardless of how one gets hired, it is crucial to ensure proper classroom teaching and fair student assessment.
Victimization of Good Teachers by Seniors: In every department, a few good teachers often face various forms of harassment from senior colleagues. Teachers who are student-friendly and dedicated to fair evaluation face the brunt of this jealousy. Influential teachers who neither teach well nor tolerate good teaching from others become adversaries.
As poet Kazi Nazrul Islam famously said, “We all are sinners, measuring others’ sins with the scale of our own.” A teacher’s popularity among students becomes a source of pain for these envious colleagues, who then misuse their power.
Comparison with Developed Countries: In his article “Is it too easy to become a professor in Bangladesh?” Dr. Shamsad Mortuza compares Bangladesh with India, where the National Eligibility Test (NET) or State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) is a minimum requirement for appointing assistant professors.
Only PhD holders can be exempted. In Sri Lanka, an assistant professor needs six years of teaching experience before becoming a professor.
In the Philippines, teachers must gain tenure within three years of their initial appointment or leave the university. Singaporean universities adopt a hybrid system of US and British academic ranks, hiring assistant professors on term contracts while associate professors and professors may be on tenure or term contracts. Only high-quality educational and research activities are considered for top ranks. They follow three tracks for hiring teachers: education, research, and practice. In my view, the political influence and nepotism in our universities have become a widespread epidemic.
Political Appointments of Vice-Chancellors: The practice of appointing vice-chancellors (VCs) and pro-vice-chancellors (pro-VCs) based on political allegiance has become the norm. However, the recent corruption and recruitment scandals involving VCs have disheartened the entire nation. Although I have encountered many qualified and good teachers among VCs, the pressure from influential political figures often forces them to compromise their integrity. These influential groups create a significant power dynamic around the VC office, dictating who gets recruited and who gets denied promotion.
Need for Investigative Journalism and Reporting: Just as investigative journalism exposed the corruption of figures like Matiur Rahman in the banking sector, it is crucial to expose the corrupt elements within the education sector. Although it may not always lead to legal action, it is vital to bring their misdeeds to light
Question of Teachers’ Ethics: Being a teacher is not enough; we must also uphold moral values. There is a severe lack of accountability in our education system.
In our pursuit of personal gain, we have resorted to political maneuvering, neglecting our responsibilities in the classroom. Since the 1990s, political governments have targeted university students and teachers to fulfill their agendas, leading to the erosion of academic excellence, which I deeply lament as a national tragedy.
In conclusion, public universities funded by taxpayer money have turned into hubs of corruption and nepotism rather than centers for nation-building.
To save our future generations, it is imperative to rid the education system of these corrupt and self-serving teachers. We must all come forward to ensure a bright future for our next generation.
(The Author is a Teacher at CU and a PhD Researcher on Rohingya Refugees at IIUM, Malaysia. He can be reached at [email protected])