Govt move to elevate diploma engineers’ status draws experts ire

The Technical and Madrasah Education Division of Education Ministry on April 15 formed a ten-member committee to observe and give  opinion in the matter of giving diploma engineers with two years working experience the status of BSc (pass) engineer.
But experts opposed the idea terming it as irrational.

They said diploma engineers have elementary knowledge but they do not have knowledge about the updated syllabus of the new curriculum.
Earlier Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel said that diploma engineers will be given the status of BSc (Pass) engineers.

He defended the step saying it will promote skill-based education.

The Minster said that after Secondary School Certificate, it takes five years to complete bachelors (pass) degree in engineering, whereas after school final, it takes four years to get diploma engineering degree.

The government is considering giving diploma engineers the graduate status provided they complete one-year of work in any government or private organisation.

In this regard, Dhaka University (DU) Mathematics Department Chairman Prof Md Shahidul Islam said that the diploma engineers do not have enough knowledge about updated syllabuses .

"Nowadays the secondary level textbooks are updated and the people who have graduated in mathematics in recent times can teach  students," said Md Shahidul Islam, also President of the Bangladesh Mathematical Society.

He finds the idea as irrational.

DU Physics Prof Ishtiaque M Syed said, "This is a rare case. You wouldn find it anywhere in the world."

"You may have working experience. Working experience is a different thing which will increase your ability in decision making. But that doesn have any connection with educational degree. Diploma engineering follows a different syllabus."

Giving diploma engineers the status of BSc in Engineering is not acceptable, said Prof Ishtiaque.

DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Prof Sitesh Chandra Bachar also opposed the idea of giving Diploma engineers the status of BSc in engineering.

He said the approach is not justifiable.

"Diploma engineers have a different course curriculum which is not equivalent to BSc in engineering. Moreover, they have an intermediate gap after the Secondary School Certificate Examination. Without the HSC, giving them the status of BSc would not be a wise decision," Prof Sitesh told The Daily Observer.

He pointed out that there are questions about the quality of the institutions that offer diploma courses. Hence, the step would not be  rational.