Will Private Universities Be Deprived in Budget?

The large budget allocation for higher education this time is undoubtedly a positive step. There is no alternative to investing in higher education for a country’s sustainable development, a knowledge-based economy and the cultivation of skilled human resources. However, considering the current reality of higher education in Bangladesh, a question naturally arises: will the benefits of this massive budget be enjoyed solely by public universities, or will private universities also be brought under its purview? If the benefits of state funding remain confined exclusively within public universities, there is a risk of creating a new form of disparity in the country’s higher education system.

Currently, a major portion of Bangladesh’s higher education system is driven by private universities. Due to the limited seat capacity in public universities, a vast number of students are compelled to enrol in private universities each year. The families of these students are also taxpayers of the country and contribute equally to the national economy. Consequently, completely depriving them of the benefits of state investment is not justifiable.

Private universities in Bangladesh have long been deprived of direct government funding. While public universities are operated with funds from the state exchequer and enjoy the benefits of development projects and research grants, private universities rely almost entirely on student tuition fees and their own generated income. As a result, they remain comparatively lagging behind in terms of budgetary and policy support. Yet, many private universities are also conducting research of international standards, strengthening their positions in various global indices based on international benchmarks. Despite this, they are frequently deprived of opportunities to participate in government research grants, innovative projects, or competitive research funds.

Another crucial matter is the policy regarding tax and VAT. Legal frameworks dictate that private universities are to operate as non-profit institutions. However, proposals to impose tax and VAT on them surface at various times, which ultimately exerts additional pressure on student tuition fees. This policy negatively impacts research, innovation, development activities, and the investments necessary for upgrading the quality of education. Similarly, the disparity in infrastructural development is evident. In many cases, the tendency to view private universities as commercial enterprises further intensifies this discrimination. Since education is a public welfare sector, incentive-based policies should be adopted instead of generating extra financial burdens.

All of these highlight the need for an integrated higher education policy. The primary criteria for funding should not be the ownership model of a university, but rather the quality of its research, innovative capacity and contribution to national development. If the development of national higher education is envisioned solely around public universities, the desired outcomes cannot be achieved. So, it is essential to build an integrated higher education framework giving equal importance to both public and private sectors. A centralised national research fund can be established to disburse grants based on research quality, innovative capacity and national priorities, making no distinction between public and private universities. Researchers from both public and private institutions will be able to compete here equally. Besides, private universities can be provided with long-term, low-interest loans on easy terms for developing permanent campuses, laboratories and technology-driven infrastructure. In addition, specific participation should be secured for private university teachers in state-sponsored teacher training programmes, international seminars and research initiatives.

A large budget allocation for higher education is undoubtedly a timely and commendable initiative. However, it will become meaningful only when its benefits reach the entire higher education sector of the country. If this budget remains confined only within public universities, a massive segment of the nation’s higher education sector will fall victim to discrimination and deprivation. A coordinated, research-based and innovation-orientated higher education system must be built by bringing both public and private universities under the umbrella of equal opportunity. To ensure the true development of higher education, the balanced distribution of opportunities and assistance must be guaranteed by bringing both streams of universities under the same development framework.

The objective of state investment should not be judged by the ownership of a university; rather, it should focus on the qualitative improvement of education, research excellence and human resource development. To ensure the economic recovery of the country, increase capability in global competition and build the knowledge-based leadership of the future generation, the core philosophy of the budget should be “the integrated transformation of security, knowledge and human welfare”. It is through the realisation of this philosophy that building a skilled, innovative, self-reliant and welfare-orientated Bangladesh is entirely possible.

_________________________________________________

The writer is a university teacher and sustainable development activist