Lack of relevant courses coupled with shortage of teachers and staff is causing difficulties for the only government run degree college in Jhenaidah’s Sailkupa upazila.
Sailkupa Government Degree College is designed to provide education for around 6,000 but students in the area are reluctant to enroll in the college because it does not have the facility to provide subjects they prefer, namely computer science and Bachelor of Arts courses.
Many youngsters said they were not interested in going to the college because of the unavailability of subjects they are eager to learn. Parents also said they were not considering sending their children to the nationalised college because it didn’t have enough teachers to provide students with the attention they deserved.
The staff shortage has lead to delays and cancellation of classes, with growing disinterest among the students. The situation places many constraints on teachers at the college, who are often unable to take scheduled classes or attend classes on time.
Principal of Sailkupa Government Degree College Professor Mohammad Shahaj Uddin admitted that the shortage of teachers, staff and absence of relevant subjects has hampered academic activities at the college.
The college has 74 teaching positions but only 16 teachers are currently working there. The principal said that they do not have teachers to take social science, agriculture studies, geography, Islamic studies and Information and communication technology classes.
The college also has various staff positions lying vacant which include grade III employees, staff, sweepers and assistant librarian’s posts, and for the three science subjects taught, the department doesn’t have teacher’s assistants or demonstrators to assist students.
The Bachelor of Arts courses were cancelled from the curriculum of the college just before it was nationalised in 1992.
However, Prof Shahaj Uddin was hopeful about the college’s future.
He said he had already started renovating the college library, which he said would be helpful for students.
The college was built in 1969 on 4.41 acres at the heart of Sailkupa town centre. It comprises several large buildings, which includes a three storey academic building and a three storey science building.
