Admission to Govt Colleges
Fate of many GPA-5 achievers uncertain
Dreams of many GPA-5 achievers in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations under Chittagong Board for admission to the city's renowned government colleges have been shattered for lack of seats.
Beside the seat crisis, pressure on the college authorities for admitting students chosen by different political organisations has also frustrated many.
A total of 43,132 students, out of 61,964, came out successful from the board with a percentage of 69.61 this year while it was 72.62 in 2008, 57.94 in 2007, 63.87 in 2006, 60.92 in 2005 and 46.55 in 2004.
Though the pass percentage has decreased by 3.01 percent compared to the previous year the number of GPA-5 (Grade Point Average) achievers have increased. A total of 4,529 students secured GPA-5 this year while it was 4,316 last year.
Of them, 3,402 achieved GPA-5 from science group, 1,083 from commerce and 44 from arts group.
Many of those smiling faces have started getting different looks as the admission process began last week in the city's government and non-government colleges.
Fate of many GPA-5 achievers from science group are uncertain as they may not get scope to study in any of the four government colleges -- Chittagong College, Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College, City College and Nasirabad Government Women College -- due to shortage of seat.
These colleges can accommodate only 1650 students in science group against the 3402 GPA-5 achievers.
Tahrina Nasrin Chowdhury, a Golden GPA holder from Bangladesh Women Association (BAWA) School, has become frustrated as she has failed to get admitted to Chittagong College.
Tahrina said, “I could console myself and could blame me if admission test was held. But I can't take it easily as some students with almost similar result in the SSC like me got the chance and I missed it.”
Like Tahrina most of the 922 students who submitted admission forms at Chittagong College with Golden GPA as only 450 could smile at the end.
Hasan Bin Mahbub got GPA-5 from Collegiate School could not get admitted to Chittagong College and Mohsin College. City College was his last option for studying in a government college. His admission was also uncertain as his name was in the third waiting list at the college.
Students from commerce group are, however, in relief since four government colleges Commerce College, Hazi Md Mohsin College, City College and Nasirabad Women's College have 1950 seats for them.
College authorities are making result sheet according to a new system based on grade points. They also have an option to send the total list of applicants along with their transcripts containing grade points to the computer section set up in the Dhaka Education Board if the number of students with similar point stands much higher than required seats.
Eight computer centres have been set up there to prepare the result sheet for the colleges under eight educational boards.
Failing to get the result sheets from the computer centre in time, the authorities of different colleges prepared result sheets themselves manually which created suspicion among the guardians about irregularities.
Disagreed with such allegation, Mohsin College Principal Prof Md Humayun Kabir said they are trying to make the list first and would immediately send the list to Dhaka if face any problem.
Besides, different political organisations have started creating pressure on the college authorities to admit students of their choice.
Admission process at Commerce College remained suspended for more than two hours on June 25 following a clash between two groups of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) over dispute centring admission.
A guardian preferring anonymity said many admission seekers ran out of the campus during the clash. He said at least 57 students chosen by a BCL faction got admitted to the college violating the serial in the result sheet, which Principal Prof Guru Gobinda Ray denied.
He said some student leaders demanded admission of their choice which the college authorities refused. Prof Gobinda said they suspended the admission process for some time and resumed again.
Another factor that has frustrated many is the “quota system” that aims at giving scopes to the students who have passed from rural schools. As per the new system, at least 12 percent of seats in city colleges will be reserved for the students who passed from rural areas.
Prof Humayun said the present admission system is more logical but the admission crisis will not be resolved without setting up more government colleges and ensuring quality education.
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