Colleges vie for students
740 pass SSC in Moulvibazar: 7,500 seats in 20 colleges
Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar
Many colleges in Moulvibazar district are facing acute shortage of students as the number of admission seekers is decreasing day by day due to less pass percentage in SSC (Secondary School Certificate) examination. Some colleges in rural areas may be closed down for lack of students, it is apprehended. August 30 was the last date of admission to HSC classes in Colleges under the Sylhet Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board. But according to reports available, 98 percent colleges in the district failed to fulfil their seats. A total of 1700 students appeared at the SSC examinations in Moulvibazar under Sylhet board this year. Only 740 came out successful. The pass percentage in the district was 42. Forty-one students got GPA-5. There are 20 colleges in Moulvibazar district. Eight of these, inlcuding three government colleges, are reputed and well established. The rest were set up at times when SSC pass percentage was much higher than now due to scope for scope for cheating in examinations. But that scope is gone now because of government's strict measures during examinations. In last ten years or so, some high schools in this district introduced eleven and twelve classes and accommodated the increasing number of successful SSC candidates. Of the total 20 colleges, four are in the Sadar upazila, two in Rajnagar, five in Kulaura and three each in Baralekha, Kamalgonj and Srimongal upazilas. Two of the government colleges are in Moulvibazar town and another is at Srimongal town. The 20 colleges together have 6000 seats in class eleven, with 1500 in the three government colleges. Against this, only 740 students passed the SSC examination this year. Prof Jilal Uddin,Vice Principal of Rajngar Degree College told The Daily Star that HSC seats will remain unfulfilled in large numbers in most of the colleges in the district. Moreover, most of the students who got GPA-5 and 4 went to Dhaka or Sylhet for admission. If the three government colleges enroll students getting GPA-2, 17 other colleges will get admission seekers far below their capacities, said a teacher at Syed Shah Mustafa (RA) College at Moulvibazar town. Some well established non-government degree colleges will also suffer for lack of students, he said.
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