Expand opportunity of higher education

Newly elected leaders of Bangladesh Open University Teachers' Association called on Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at her office yesterday. PHOTO: PID

She also asked them to make sure that no-one is deprived of the opportunity of higher education and to maintain the standard of courses offered by BOU, an off-campus public university.

The prime minister's directives came when the newly elected executive committee of Bangladesh Open University Teachers' Association called on her at the PM office.

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The 15-member delegation included association president Prof. M Ansaruzzaman and secretary Dr M Moinul Islam. The Jatiyatabadi panel of BOU teachers swept the election to the association held recently.

In response to their demand, the prime minister assured the BOU management of arranging scholarships for the poor and meritorious students.

She also asked the teachers to modernise the examination system of the university.

The Open University currently provides distance education from SSC to graduate levels through its 12 regional and 80 local centers. There are now some five lakh students in various courses of the university.

The teachers informed the prime minister that the BSC Nursing programme of the university has gained much popularity and urged her to increase the duration of the BTV programme on distance education.

They also called for optimum utilisation of the modern media centre of the university by other universities and government institutions.

Education Minister M Osman Faruk, State Minister for Education Ehsanul Huq Milon, PM's political secretaries Harris Chowdhury and Mosaddek Ali and Vice-Chancellor of the Open University Dr Ershadul Bari were also present.