41pc students in higher education face discrimination on campus: Survey

A survey has found that 41.9 per cent of students in Bangladesh’s higher education institutions face different forms of discrimination on campus.

The study, conducted by social and voluntary organisation Aachol Foundation, covered students from public and private universities, medical colleges, and polytechnic institutes. Among those affected, 51 per cent were female students and 49 per cent were male.

It shows that 56 per cent of public university students, 19 per cent of private university students, and 5 per cent of medical college students reported facing discrimination.

The forms of discrimination cited included biased behaviour in classrooms, libraries, cafes, and examination results, as well as exclusion in peer groups, harassment in university transport, gender bias, financial factors, political differences, physical appearance, ethnic background, and abuse on social media platforms.

The online survey was conducted between March and May this year with responses from 1,173 students across public and private universities, colleges under the National University, medical colleges, and polytechnic institutes.

The results were presented at a virtual press conference on Saturday, where Farzana Akter Laboni, team leader of Aachol Foundation’s Research and Analysis Unit, shared the findings.

‘DISCRIMINATION MOSTLY IN CLASSROOMS, EXAM RESULTS’

Of the students who reported discrimination, 60 per cent said they experienced it in their exam results, making it the most common form. Nearly 30 per cent pointed to gender-based discrimination, 19 per cent to religious bias, about 7 per cent to physical disability, and 9 per cent to ethnic differences.

Around 23 per cent faced discrimination due to financial reasons, 29 per cent due to body image, and 30 per cent due to political differences.

The classroom was the place where students reported the highest rate of discrimination -- 60 per cent. Another 19 per cent said they experienced it in residential halls, while others mentioned university events and programmes.

Social media was also a significant platform, with 31 per cent of students saying they were targeted with discriminatory behaviour there. Among them, 48.05 per cent were female students, while 50.65 per cent were male.

Some 38 per cent of respondents said they faced discrimination in friends’ gatherings, and 18 per cent reported experiencing it in university transport. Others cited discrimination in libraries, cafes, and exam halls.

PEER BEHAVIOR, TEACHERS BLAMED

According to the survey, 58 per cent of students faced discriminatory behaviour from peers, while 55 per cent reported similar behaviour from teachers.

University administrations were held responsible by 32 per cent of students, and about 15 per cent blamed third- and fourth-grade employees.

Discrimination was more frequent in later stages of studies, with 40 per cent of students in the third and fourth years of undergraduate courses reporting such experiences.

The data also showed serious mental health implications, with more than 90 per cent of affected students saying they suffered an impact.

About 39 per cent described the effect as severe, 51 per cent said it was moderate, and only 6.5 per cent said they were unaffected.

FEW COMPLAINTS LODGED

Only 25 percent of students who faced discrimination lodged complaints with university authorities, while 75 per cent said they did not report their experiences.

The survey also shows that 56.6 per cent of respondents were female, 43.1 per cent were male, and 0.3 per cent were third gender.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings, Aachol Foundation put forward seven proposals:

● Appoint mental health specialists to mentor students

● Screen students’ mental health every six months

● Form monitoring teams and enforce strict laws to prevent discrimination and harassment

● Place complaint boxes in every department, set up separate complaint cells for female students

● Take initiatives to improve student–teacher relations

● Launch career counselling centres to guide higher education and employment opportunities

● Ensure easy access to mental health services in all educational institutions