The University Grand Commission’s latest proposal to form a uniform grading system and mandatory credit transfer across all private universities has stirred up a debate across all private universities. The plan aims to standardise the private higher education sector under the draft of the Private University Act-2025. According to it, every private university would have to use the same grading scale, and credit transfer would be possible from one campus to another without any hassle. Many of the private universities have already started to implement it.

Now, students do often struggle when switching universities because their credits do not match or their grades are not the same in other institutions. One university’s B+ is another’s A-. This is not just a matter of confusion, but it also creates significant inequality among universities. 

In this matter, Professor Siddique Rahman, former director of IER (Institute of Education and Research) at Dhaka University, told The Business Standard that UGC should consult universities and that change is necessary. He believes the gaps between grade points can always be reshuffled. 

“The UGC should hold meetings with the private universities and take their recommendations in this regard. The gap between each grade can be reshuffled. It’s just a matter of discussion, but it is necessary to implement it as students and also job seekers face problems in getting jobs due to different types of grading systems,” said Professor Siddiqur Rahman. But this is not a new debate. Bangladesh has been circling around the idea of a uniform grading system for years. 

For many students, a uniform grading system is the solution. It is something that could reduce the confusion among institutions and employers. The university standards will become clearer and more comprehensible. Additionally, the mandatory credit transfer could also be a huge relief for students who have to switch universities due to family, financial, or academic issues. 

On the other hand, a lot of students differ in their opinions.

In their opinion, uniformity in the grading system will not guarantee quality. If universities have different teaching standards, course difficulty, faculty expertise, and assessment styles, then giving them all the same grading system will be unfair to the students. Students have also pointed out that this might create problems during employment. Because even if private universities adopt the same system, the employers would still compare SSC, HSC, O/A levels, and other certificates. The grading systems in schools, colleges, and universities are different. While the SSC and HSC levels follow a 5-point grading system, universities adhere to a 4-point system. 

In the midst of this, we have to remember that it is not just the grading but the students themselves that varies. One of my faculty members, Niger Afroz ma’am, once shared an important insight. She said that grading a student is a huge burden on the teacher’s shoulder. Because they simply cannot mark what is written on the script. They also have to consider the student’s background, their learning pace, their educational history, and the limitations they have overcome. 

Therefore, grading is never a mechanical task. In a sense, grading students under a similar system may create more balance. It could help reduce biases not only inside classrooms but also between universities themselves.

At present, universities are often labelled good or bad. While this is true to some extent, the students unfortunately get judged along with those labels. But while universities may differ in facilities, faculty strength, or academic culture, students should not automatically be superior or inferior because of the institution they attend. Students deserve equal treatment and equal rights to education. 

Students should be evaluated based on their skills, their growth, and their individual performance. Not because their university uses a stricter grading scale and therefore must be good.