Ambitious polytechnic plan sans adequate teachers, lab

The government’s vision to increase enrolment in technical education up to 20 per cent by 2020 has hit a stumbling block with the shortage of staff and facilities in polytechnic institutes across the country. The authorities of different polytechnic institutes admitted that their enrolment capacities have increased tremendously this year, and in some cases it has even doubled. But at the same time, there was an acute crisis of trained teachers to teach the additional students. Besides, there are also mounting pressures on workshops and laboratories because these have not been enhanced to meet the growing need, the authorities added.
Some of them even expressed fear of a fall in quality students if trained teachers and lab facilities were not increased to cater to the additional enrolments.
In a recent report, the education ministry had informed that the current number of students enrolled in technical education was 13.11 per cent and its target was to increase this to 20.82 per cent by 2020.
While presenting the report, education minister Nurul Islam Nahid said an increase in seats and introduction of more subjects were implemented in the 49 government polytechnic institutes in the country.
“In 2009, the number of first year students in these institutions was 12,350, which now stands at 57,000,” he said.
But while the government was busy increasing the enrolment, it hardly bothered to pay attention to the requirement for more teachers, lab and workshop facilities as well as accommodation for students, the authorities of polytechnic institutions said.
They also said that though the government has recruited some teachers under the Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) under the Directorate of Technical Education, this was not sufficient because these teachers were temporary and not properly trained.
“Last year we had 3,100 students, this year it is 3,600. But the number of teachers is not satisfactory. We have taken some teachers locally to teach physics, chemistry and maths, but we have few teachers to teach engineering subjects,” Aminur Rahman Sarker, principal of Dinajpur Polytechnic Institute, told The Independent yesterday.
“We are facing tremendous pressure now to teach the students properly. We feel the necessity of more teachers,” he added. “We have opened two new departments—refrigeration and air conditioning technology, and electronic technology. Even the number of enrolment capacity has been increased to 2,040 in double shifts, which was 960 earlier,” Dr Md Morad Hossain Mollah, principal of

Pabna Polytechnic Institute, said.
He, however, added: “We have a shortage of teachers. If we get 10 more teachers, we can carry out our task somehow, but that is not sufficient. As a result, the existing teachers are under tremendous work pressure.”
Moreover, Pabna Polytechnic Institute has a boys’ hostel with a capacity of 200 seats while the girls’ hostel can accommodate only 55 students, he said.
Md Anwar Hossain, principal of Faridpur Polytechnic Institute, said, “Last year our seat capacity was 720, but this year it was increased to 1,440. Though the number of enrolments has increased, but the number of teachers needed to teach properly remains low.” “Some teachers have been recruited from the STEP and this will continue till 2019. But these teachers are not enough because they are not properly trained,” he added.
“Moreover, we have only one workshop and one laboratory to cater to these students. Since technical education is mainly based on practical training, it would be difficult to teach all the students if such facilities are not increased. Consequently, poor quality students will pass out from here,” he said. Anwar Hossain also said it was good that the government has started giving attention to technical education for skilled manpower, but more attention has to be given to infrastructure as well.

Ambitious polytechnic plan sans adequate teachers, lab

The governments vision to increase enrolment in technical education up to 20 per cent by 2020 has hit a stumbling block with the shortage of staff and facilities in polytechnic institutes across the country. The authorities of different polytechnic institutes admitted that their enrolment capacities have increased tremendously this year, and in some cases it has even doubled. But at the same time, there was an acute crisis of trained teachers to teach the additional students. Besides, there are also mounting pressures on workshops and laboratories because these have not been enhanced to meet the growing need, the authorities added. Some of them even expressed fear of a fall in quality students if trained teachers and lab facilities were not increased to cater to the additional enrolments. In a recent report, the education ministry had informed that the current number of students enrolled in technical education was 13.11 per cent and its target was to increase this to 20.82 per cent by 2020. While presenting the report, education minister Nurul Islam Nahid said an increase in seats and introduction of more subjects were implemented in the 49 government polytechnic institutes in the country. In 2009, the number of first year students in these institutions was 12,350, which now stands at 57,000, he said. But while the government was busy increasing the enrolment, it hardly bothered to pay attention to the requirement for more teachers, lab and workshop facilities as well as accommodation for students, the authorities of polytechnic institutions said. They also said that though the government has recruited some teachers under the Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) under the Directorate of Technical Education, this was not sufficient because these teachers were temporary and not properly trained. Last year we had 3,100 students, this year it is 3,600. But the number of teachers is not satisfactory. We have taken some teachers locally to teach physics, chemistry and maths, but we have few teachers to teach engineering subjects, Aminur Rahman Sarker, principal of Dinajpur Polytechnic Institute, told The Independent yesterday. We are facing tremendous pressure now to teach the students properly. We feel the necessity of more teachers, he added. We have opened two new departmentsrefrigeration and air conditioning technology, and electronic technology. Even the number of enrolment capacity has been increased to 2,040 in double shifts, which was 960 earlier, Dr Md Morad Hossain Mollah, principal of Pabna Polytechnic Institute, said. He, however, added: We have a shortage of teachers. If we get 10 more teachers, we can carry out our task somehow, but that is not sufficient. As a result, the existing teachers are under tremendous work pressure. Moreover, Pabna Polytechnic Institute has a boys hostel with a capacity of 200 seats while the girls hostel can accommodate only 55 students, he said. Md Anwar Hossain, principal of Faridpur Polytechnic Institute, said, Last year our seat capacity was 720, but this year it was increased to 1,440. Though the number of enrolments has increased, but the number of teachers needed to teach properly remains low. Some teachers have been recruited from the STEP and this will continue till 2019. But these teachers are not enough because they are not properly trained, he added. Moreover, we have only one workshop and one laboratory to cater to these students. Since technical education is mainly based on practical training, it would be difficult to teach all the students if such facilities are not increased. Consequently, poor quality students will pass out from here, he said. Anwar Hossain also said it was good that the government has started giving attention to technical education for skilled manpower, but more attention has to be given to infrastructure as well.