Even as surge in Covid-19 cases across the country continue to remain highly unpredictable, both the Management of the Universities and Colleges and the parents have mixed opinion whether this is the right time to Re-Open the Campuses?
While most parents are of the view that India shouldn’t even consider reopening schools in regular mode till December 31 , the campus authorities don’t want to take initiative rather wants parents to decide whether they are willing to send their wards for the Campus teaching ?
There are some including teachers who believe that Online-Teaching, in particular technical subjects ,is no substitute to class room teachings.
“We have to learn to live with the virus. We need to go back to colleges & campuses and there is nothing wrong if we go for no-holiday academic year to ensure that the syllabi gets completed” they felt.
The students claim they are just ‘frustrated’ staying at home for well over seven months now. ‘We are too stressed because of increase in Screen time on computers/ Laptops. It’s a kind of sick feeling now being with parents and siblings throughout’, says Anjali who has just entered into higher education.
The Online classes seems making our courses akin to “distance education” and it is not “fair to us who are competitive”, she remarked.
The Principals of colleges and officials of universities however say “re-opening of colleges would be a challenge with the rise in number of cases though these vary region to region in the country.
“Irrespective of whatever precautionary measures we take, nothing will be sufficient. It is very difficult to expect students to maintain physical distance in a class,” said the Vice Chancellor of a State-run university.
The UGC has also said that all universities and colleges will have to follow directions from the Union and State governments, the Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission from time to time while re-opening of the institutions.
Universities need to follow a six-day week for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years to compensate for the loss of academic days. They have also been told to curtail breaks and vacations so that students are awarded their degree on time.
With festivities of ‘Navratra’ , ‘Dussera’, ‘Chatt Puja’ and then ‘Diwali’ to begin from next month and an utter neglect by common men on maintaining health protocols like wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing , it is highly unlikely the colleges and universities have any plans to re-open at least in 2020.
The academic year 2020-2021 is bound to get delayed in terms of class room teaching as both the Government and authorities remain indecisive to re-open the colleges and universities.
Written by Bhargavi singh
