Those were the days, my friend

We thought they'd never end -Mary Hopkin

Did you ever wonder how you’ve changed over the years? Why even a few years ago. you were quite different than you are today. Times have changed and so has the environment that surrounds you. But did you ever think, how people of your age were in yesteryears and also are today? Now that would be an interesting topic to embark on. wouldn't it? Well, it quite happens that, this ts the topic that we’ll try to talk about today. Actually, it will be a comparative study of teens and twentiers of Bangladesh of three decades, from 1965 to 1995. The questions we'll be asking, are very simple — how do these people behave, what do they think about, how do they love and hate, how do other’cultures influence their perception towards life, and so on.

Don't worry, be happy — Bobby McPherrin

The reader may have already got the impression that this narrative Is going to carry on. This week we discuss students of the last three decades. What lies in the future "remains a mystery to us all" so as to allow the reader to have her/his thrill and imagination. One warning before we put on our dancing shoes. There may be generalisations, due to limited space and time. However, this is not an academic write-up. So. like the Calypso song goes, "don't worry, be happy!"

Clear blue skies...

They were here before we

Will they be here when we're

— Graham Nash -i ’

People arq a product of the = environment they pre sur^

rounded by. Today fort* mate students have ample scopes in keeping themselves better Informed with global phenom ena. due to the grace of satel lite TV and computers. In the sixties, satellite TV and computers were dream — even seeing a normal TV was a luxury. My father once told me that many people used to pay social calls at my grandfather’s house, after sunset. Just to see what was being telecasted on our TV setl (He owned a TV set at that time. )

In spite of limited opportu-nities, students of the sixties — and to some extent the seventies also — were advanced in one field at least. And that is a fair equity in knowledge. Of course, today's young people have a better perception towards life than those of the 60s. 70s and 80s. In the past, there were three types of students — good, mediocre and bad. The good were not as good as us. the mediocre were more or less as their counterparts today, while the bad used to just pass. Today's good students are exceptionally good, while the bad are. let's not say. However, yesterday's good stu dents were not bookish as they are today. In the past, a good student used to keep track of events outside his subject. Today’s good students unfortunately know little outside their own discipline. Could this be the bad effect of Adam Smith's specialisation?

On good thing has come by through time. In yesteryears, students used to think of having an academic career and they get themselves affiliated with the Civil Service. Strong middle-class feelings was the main catalyst in this attitude. Business or alternative means of livelihood was not widely accepted due to relics of a feu-dalistlc society. Today, innitra-stion of capitalistic elements *tave widened the outlook of youngsters. Youngsters are In-

clining more towards market demanding professions. Gone are the days, when a young person would study pure Physics. Mathematics or Literature Just for the Joy of knowledge. Today s students are more Interested In study Ing Business Disciplineq, Applied Sciences. Engineering, Medical Science. Economics, and so on. Poverty and competition have compelled people to think like this. Today's students also have wide options for part time livelihoods than those of the past. Private tuition was not a thing noticed among University students even five to seven years ago. Today, many students are earning their own expenses through private tuition. After completion of studies, the gifted are being absorbed in prospectful places, while the less fortunate are inclining towards selfemployment. The latter was not an accepted profession in the sixties and early seventies.

Today, young people are inclining more towards business, as dependence on a Job usually does not help make ends meet. Indeed. Bly's "Matl O Manush" programme of Shykh Seraj has come a long way over the years In motivating educated, but unemployed people to go for self-employment.

The level of' the depth of English among youngsters has deteriorated over they years. This. I think, is one fact on which you'll agree with me. My grandfather, to whom I was extremely attached, once said that there are three types of English knowing people. The first can speak in English, the second can write in English, while the last can think in English. Although, the number of the first group may have in-

creased over the years, the latter two have certainly declined. It's not that we should give up Bangla and learn an alien language, but we should acknowledge the fact that today's world is more Interwined then It was In the past. Moreover, in order to fraternize with other cultures, one has to be well adept in English. The bad side of English In this nation today js that, knowledge — especially that of English — has become centralised among the affluent few. These are the people who are getting fatter shares of the cake day by day. These are also the people who are being better placed In the society, principally due to their control over social power and wealth.

Going abroad is another feature that otM^tudents have exhibited over the years. Indeed, o'ne should go as far as the walls of China In pursuit of knowledge. However, the nature of students on their attitude towards going abroad has changed through "tlrtie passages." In the sixties and till the mid seventies, students usually set sail to the UK. They would finish higher studies and return back to the country to serve the nation. Dominance of middle-class sentiment was mainly responsible for them wanting to come back and serve the nation. Moreover, from 1965 to 1971. we were in the yoke of foreign domination. while right after 1971, the country needed the young to build the aspiration of so many who gave up their lives to see a free Bangladesh. This attitude, however, became an euphoria. Because, during the second half of the seventies our young technocrats — in particular — embarked on Journeys to the Middle East. The prime objective was to

earn "petro dollars" and the return, either to find a job or Invest their savings in land and/or gold, the two most easy avenues that were available for Investment during these periods. The Bangladeshi Dream" of a poverty emancipated nation was over. Poverty and lack ol opportunities for youngsters acted us catalysts in the ftiigra tlon tendency of youngsterk This tendency has just Increased over the years.

An alternative avenue for students after Independence and upto the late eighties was going to former socialistic states for education. This was driven by the romanticism of Communism. Various student activities oi the' sixties and those of the seventies impelled students to go to these nations for attaining Masters or PhD.

Today, the wheels have turned around. Today’s stu dents have not lost their inter esl on going abroad, but the motive is somewhat different. Plaguing session Jams in our Universities have made relatively affluent students to think about India for alternative means of higher education. Another group prepare themselves for North America and Australia. However, the tendency among today's students Is not to come back after leaving their sacred motherland. Seemingly ever closing opportunities in Bangladesh and scanty salaries offered in job markets have made students and eiders alike to fight for immigration. The craze of US Immigration visas. and Australian ones (n recent times, strongly support this proposition.

Prior to Liberation, there were only four general Universities — Dhaka. Rajshahi. Chittagong and Jahtuigirnagar. The scopes for lughcr education were narrow. Tile number of technical college’s wen- also not many.

Today more Universities have emerged A market is not driven by biological or ethical needs. The powers of supply and demand have, no doubt, played a pivotal role in the emergence of private Universities. Medical Colleges and Schools throughout the country Whatever the cause, the outcome has been for the good. Today students throughout Bangladesh do not have to confine themselves to a few Universities for higher or Colleges tor intermediate education any more. The scopes have widened, although supply may not have been able to keep up with the ever growing demand. Hence there'is still an excess demai/d in education Clearly reflected by the ever growing tendency of our rr-sotircelul youngsters in going abroad for Higher education and not wanting to come back.

Clear blue skies...

Yes, they will be here when we’re gone

— Graham Nash

Let’s see the bright side of life. Today's people are much more Intelligent than those of the past. In my University. I find today s students to be bet ter-read than we were. Transmission of BBC pro grammes - in particular — by the Government have no doubt pronounced significant effects on youngsters. Today's teenagers know the names of most international sport personalities. film stars, literary luminaries, etc. better than we or our previous generations did.

Man has a tendency to dub his own young time as the best of all time. Whatever previous generations say today, or those of todqy will say in the future — let s try to take the cream of all decades. Yes. the clear blue skies, our ancestors left us. will be here when we're gone, for our descendants to thrive on!