CoU students calls teacher evaluation system
Comilla University (CoU) students have called for the introduction of a formal teacher evaluation system, alleging that irregular classes, delayed examinations and publication of results, incomplete course coverage, and poor teaching practices are undermining the quality of education.
A structured evaluation mechanism would enhance teachers’ accountability, improve classroom performance, and ensure higher academic standards, students said.
Bayezid Hossain, a student of the Department of Law said “During the admission test, I attended classes conducted by university students and thought the teachers here would be even better. But after enrolling, I was completely disappointed.”
He alleged that some teachers rely heavily on textbooks while teaching, complete courses after conducting only a handful of classes, and often fail to maintain regular class schedules.
As a result, students face delays in examinations and the publication of results.
“The issue recently came to the forefront in the department, where students locked the department on June 23, protesting the publication of examination schedules on the night before examinations, insufficient classes, online classes without valid reasons, non-publication of in-course results, and persistent session delays.”
Seeking anonymity, a student of English department told The New Nation that irregular classes have prevented the department from completing examinations and publishing results on time.
Adnan Saif, a student of the Department of Anthropology, said a feedback-based evaluation system would allow teachers to better understand students’ expectations.
“Not every teacher has the same teaching skills. If students can evaluate teaching, teachers will know where they need to improve, ultimately raising the quality of education,” he said.
Speaking to The New Nation, CoU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Masuda Kamal said that the university is expected to introduce the teacher evaluation system soon as departments gradually implement the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) framework.
“Teacher evaluation is one of the core requirements of the OBE system.”
Dr. Md. Mohiuddin, Associate Professor of the Department of Mathematics, said such systems are already common in developed countries and at many private universities in Bangladesh.
“It is time for public universities to adopt this system. Since the evaluation would be based on student feedback, teachers would naturally prepare better for classes. If linked to promotion, poor evaluations could also serve as an indicator of weak performance,” he said.
He added that although there are institutional challenges, the university administration could introduce the system gradually.
Supporting the importance, Dr. Mohammad Sayedur Rahman, Director of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), said student feedback is essential for accelerating the university’s accreditation process.”We already collect student feedback manually.
“Student evaluations are necessary to improve course curricula and teaching-learning methods,” he said.
Dr. Muhammad Sohrab Uddin, Professor of the Department of Archaeology, said a teacher evaluation system could complement the existing student assessment process, provided appropriate criteria are developed.
“The evaluation standards must reflect our institutional realities. For example, the UGC recommends 25 teachers for the Department of Archaeology, but we have only 10.
Some departments have just five or seven teachers. These limitations must be considered while setting the criteria,” he said.
